Sam Sunderland Around the World Record Attempt
More than two decades after Kevin and Julia Sanders set a Guinness World Record for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by motorcycle, two-time Dakar Rally winner Sam Sunderland is preparing to take it on.
On 5 September, Sam will leave London aboard a Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer, attempting to beat the record Kevin and Julia set back in 2002: an incredible 19 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes around the world by motorcycle.
It is a record that has now stood for 24 years and their ride remains the last verified Guinness World Record ride before Guinness decided that it would no longer endorse further attempts and rested the record.
The World Record That Came Before GlobeBusters
Long before GlobeBusters became the motorcycle expedition company it is today, GlobeBusters Founders, Kevin and Julia were already pushing the boundaries of what was possible on two wheels.
In 2002, they set off to ride the fastest circumnavigation of the world by motorcycle, completing the challenge in just 19 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes. They shattered the previous record by almost 11 days and in the process earned the official Guinness World Records adjudicated title.
The challenge required far more than simply riding huge distances. A true circumnavigation must follow strict parameters set by Guinness World Records, the most important of which includes travelling continuously in one direction around the globe, starting and finishing at the same location, reaching antipodal points on opposite sides of the planet, riding a minimum of 18,000 miles and completing the journey on the same motorcycle. Those were the original Guinness World Record rules and riding to anything less is just not cricket!
More than two decades later, that is the benchmark Sam Sunderland is setting out to beat.
Passing on 24 Years of Experience
There is another special connection to this record attempt.
Over the past year, Kevin and Julia have been working with Sam Sunderland and the Red Bull team behind the scenes, sharing their knowledge and experience to help Sam prepare for the challenge and give him the best possible chance of successfully completing the circumnavigation.
Having been through the challenge themselves, Kevin and Julia have been able to offer first-hand insight into what it takes to ride around the world against the clock, from the original Guinness World Record requirements of the record itself to route planning, logistics and the realities of covering enormous distances day after day.
There is something rather special about that. The very people whose record Sam is setting out to beat are now helping him and his team in their attempt to do exactly that. Kevin and Julia have always believed that records are there to be challenged, and after their Guinness World Record has stood for 24 years, both Kevin and Julia are firmly behind Sam as he prepares to take it on.
For GlobeBusters, it is also a continuation of something Kevin and Julia have spent more than two decades doing: sharing their experience of long-distance motorcycle travel to help others achieve extraordinary journeys.
From a World Record to GlobeBusters
For us, the story also represents where GlobeBusters came from. Kevin and Julia’s record-breaking adventures helped lay the foundations for what would eventually become GlobeBusters, built around the belief that some of the world’s greatest journeys are best experienced from the seat of a motorcycle.
And 24 years after setting that record, they haven’t exactly slowed down. This summer, Kevin and Julia returned to the UK after leading our Bangkok to Britain – Silk Road Expedition, with a group of 15 riders, riding approximately 13,000 miles over 101 days from Thailand back to Britain.
Their journey crossed China and Central Asia before continuing west towards Europe and eventually finishing at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. It was another huge overland adventure and a very different challenge to racing around the world against the clock, but the same passion for long-distance motorcycle travel that started all those years ago remains at the heart of GlobeBusters today.
The Next Chapter
On 5 September, attention turns to Sam. Riding the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer, he will attempt to put his name alongside, and potentially ahead of, a record that has stood since 2002.
As the current record holders, Kevin and Julia know better than most what lies ahead. Thousands of miles. Long days in the saddle. Border crossings, weather, logistics, fatigue and the unexpected challenges that inevitably come with attempting to ride a motorcycle around the planet.
We can’t wait to follow the attempt.
Good luck, Sam. The clock is waiting.
GWR Round the World Route
