Around The World In 80 Days

by Mark Beaumont

The inspiring story of one man's record-breaking cycle around the world.On Monday 18th September 2017, Mark Beaumont pedalled through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes earlier he set off from the same point, beginning his attempt to circumnavigate the world in record time. Covering more than 18,000 miles and cycling through some of the harshest conditions one man and his bicycle can endure, Mark made history. He smashed two Guinness World Records and beat the previous record by an astonishing 45 days. Around the World in 80 Days is the story of Mark’s amazing achievement - one which redefines the limits of human endurance. It is also an insight into the mind of an elite athlete and the physical limits of the human body, as well as a kaleidoscopic tour of the world from a very unique perspective; inspired by Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel, Mark begins his journey in Paris and cycles through Europe, Russia, Mongolia and China. He then crosses Australia, rides up through New Zealand and across North America before the final 'sprint finish' thorough Portugal, Spain and France, all at over 200 miles a day. This is the story of a quite remarkable adventure, by a quite remarkable man.

Genres: Cycling, Nonfiction, Travel, Adventure, Autobiography, Memoir, Sports

416 pages, Paperback

Published July 2, 2018

About the author

Mark Beaumont is a broadcaster who has been adventuring since an early age. When not travelling on TV projects and expeditions he is often speaking at events, involved in various charity and educational work, book writing or in training.

Mark was first inspired to go on expedition at the age of 12 after reading in a local newspaper about a cycle from John O’Groats to Lands End. For the next decade Mark’s ambitions and experience developed until after leaving University he set out to make a career in broadcasting and adventure.

Mark’s public speaking takes him to many public theatre events as well as businesses and organisations in the UK and abroad. Please get in touch to enquire about availability.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before 2008 the record for cycling 18,000 miles stood at 276 days and 19 hours. Then Mark Beaumont smashed it by completing the same distance in a staggering 194 days and 17 hours. He managed this unsupported and had 30kg of equipment, clothing and camping gear on his bike. Since then he has cycled the length of the American and African continents, climbed the odd mountain and tried to row across an ocean. Since then various people had beaten his record and it stood at 123 days and 43 minutes set by the New Zealander Andrew Nicholson for his unsupported circumnavigation in 2015.

However, Mark had plans to take the record back again, big plans. Inspired by the Jules Vern story, Around the World in 80 days, he calculated that he could cycle the required 18,000 miles with the appropriate allowances for transfers between the continents by doing a staggering 240 miles per day. Every day. To do this though he needed a large team of people and an even larger amount of sponsorship. As he started putting out the feelers for those wanting to support him. As people begun to support him in this monumental challenge, he began to form a team, however, he knew he needed to get the miles in with training for this epic ride. He decided to cycle around the coast of the UK to get a feel for the mileage. He called it The Leg Stretcher, and he would travel 3500 miles heading off clockwise from London. It took him 14.5 days…

After a few minor finance hiccups, with people stepping in to help ensure that he could do it. He began his journey at the Arc de Triomphe as he did all those years before. His route around the world would take him all across Eurasia, then Australia and New Zealand. From there he would head to America and Canada before arriving back in Europe for the final jaunt back to Paris. Not only was this a relentless physical journey, but he would suffer setbacks, accidents, low points and ache continuously. He would also see amazing sights and be lifted by the people who rode with him on his relentless schedule or who took the time to show that their support.

It wouldn't be much of a spoiler to say that he completed the challenge, there wouldn't be a book if he hadn't.  He managed to obliterate the record for the second time in his life coming in 45 days faster with a new record of 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes. It is a stunning achievement for endurance cycling and to show the limits of human endurance, but this sort of achievement can really only be done with teams of support crew to enable him to cycle 240 miles in one day. I think that he can safely say that the record will be his for the foreseeable future. Not totally sure it is a travel book though as he is going so fast around the world that the human interaction that you'd get from a travel book really isn't there. This is another really enjoyable book from Beaumont and if you have read his others then this should be on your reading list.

[Matt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Before i comment on the book itself, my rating of this book does not reflect how I feel about the achievement itself. 18000 miles in under 80 days is one of the greatest achievements in endurance sport, hats off to Mark and the team.

However, the book lacks in a number of departments. When I was reading this book, I was not inspired, it was repetitive and the main topics focused on weather, soreness and a number of disagreements across the team. I wanted to hear more about the journey. Difficult I know, as Mark was so focused, but I wanted to hear from the team and what was going on whilst he was out there 16 hours a day.

My final and maybe biggest disappointment with the book was Mark's apparent need to either give back handed compliments or comment unnecessarily about individuals which in parts seemed rude and spiteful.

Many times I laughed just at how Partridge and cringeworthy the book was. For me I wanted to like this book, I've seen Mark's talk and was genuinely inspired, now, I'm left with a feeling it was all a charade and what I thought of Mark and who I met at the talk was no more than a good piece of PR.

[Cathal Kenneally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.
Required reading for any aspiring cyclist. Professional,amateur or novice like me. 5 years ago I was in a dark place after just giving up cigarettes. My chest was terrible and I was told that I had to quit or else.
I put on loads of weight. Then the pandemic came and ruined everything. I couldn’t go to work until one day I decided to get back on my bike. I haven’t looked back. I’m cycling mad now. I ditched my mountain bike for a road bike and I’m better for it. Last year I completed London to Brighton ride and this year I’m doing it again. I can’t cycle enough and when I have a bad day I just think of how Mark would handle it? Cycling an average of 240 miles a day for 78 days. Imagine the pain? I have had sore legs from long days in the saddle but nothing on the scale of what he’s had to put up with. Okay he had a good support team to help him along the way and he makes plenty of thankful references to them in the book, but aside from that, cycling around the world is no mean feat.

[Apratim Mukherjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a great achievement by Mark but the book is very long.Most of it is about endurance,240 miles per day and testing the abilities,not like Africa Solo( which was also focusing on the journey).So,its not a travelogue.Moreover,(due to sponsorship reasons) almost 25% of the book is dedicated to preparation for the ride.
The book something like a complimentary breakfast on hotel stay(the documentary).
Hence,I am going with three out of five stars.

[Max Deacon-Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a guy. Amazing story from an unbelievable feat of human endurance.

[Yoka Krämer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome book about a crazy aventure and unimaginable sportive success. Perfect to listen to while doing sports yourself.

[Kirsteen Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have guessed that reading about a guy cycling for 16hrs a day for almost 80 days would be as captivating, entertaining and inspiring. I barely survive a spin class, couldn't imagine this feat of endurance

[Samuel Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into long-distance cycling and the limits of human endurance

Even after following Mark's circumnavigation each day as it happened it's been fascinating to read in more detail what happened on the road each day. A real insight into how the human body can work in such extreme circumstances in terms of weather, distance and fatigue. However I can't help but think that he could have been even more honest at times and written more about his suffering, mental fatigue and opinion of those he met along the way. For more such details there's an excellent Q&A with GCN on YouTube.

[Karoli Lust · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve seen the story on GCN+ and now I’ve read the book and the book isn’t doing Mark justice.
This was a huge accomplishment and the book doesn’t really give that away and frankly is quite the bore.
But when you see the 1 hour film that was done by GCN - that’s another story, you actually get inspired and proud.
I felt that there was more to the story that they put into the book and we were left out.

[mr p g stocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book very inspirational.!

I picked the book as a keen cyclist and was interested in Marks round world trip in 80 days and the determination he demonstrated in completing his adenture

[Daniel Bayliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bloke rides 16 hours per day for 78 days at 210 Watts. Enough said.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am 18. September 2017 fuhr Mark Beaumont mit seinem Rennrad durch den Arc de Triomphe, nachdem er 78 Tage, 14 Stunden und 40 Minuten früher von dort aus gestartet war. Aber zwischen Abfahrt und Ankunft lag nicht nur die Zeit, die er auf dem Rad verbrachte, sondern monatelange Vorbereitung mit akribischer Planung und auch Rückschlägen. Mark Beaumont nimmt seine Leser mit auf die Verwirklichung seines Traums: die Weg, den Jules Verne in seinem Buch beschreibt, auf dem Rad zurückzulegen.

Diese Reise ist nicht, die Mark unternommen hat: 2008 stellte er auf dem Rad einen neuen Weltrekord für die Weltumrundung auf, wobei er die alte Marke um 80 Tage unterbot. Zwischen 2009 und 2010 fuhr er auf dem Rad von Anchorage nach Ushuaia an der Südspitze von Argentinien. Aber zu unterstellen, er wäre nur auf auf der Suche nach dem nächsten Rekord gewesen, ist zu einfach. Jeder von uns hat eine andere Art, Dinge anzugehen und für Mark Beaumont ist es eben diese. Dafür braucht es viel Unterstützung: ein Team, das ihm jedes Problem abnimmt und eine Familie, die hinter ihm steht. Hier fand ich es ein bisschen schade, dass es so aussah, als ob für Mark sein Team ​mehr im Vordergrund stand als die Familie.

Marks Geschichte wirkt über weite Strecken unpersönlich. Er beschreibt seinen Weg, aber er lässt seine Gefühle außen vor. Die merke ich ihm nur dann an, wenn etwas schief geht und da habe ich stellenweise den Eindruck gewonnen, dass er während der Fahrt nicht immer einfach war. Für ihn war nicht der Weg das Ziel, sondern das Ergebnis. Die Fokussierung auf sein Ziel war deutlich zu spüren. Vielleicht habe ich deshalb die Begeisterung vermisst, die ich aus Erzählungen anderer Berichte über extreme Unternehmungen kenne. Stellenweise habe ich mich gefragt, wie nachhaltig sein Erfolg bei ihm nachwirkt: ob es nur ein weiterer Rekord ist, oder ob er auch an die einzelnen Etappen noch gerne zurückdenkt.

Bei den Vorbereitungen zur Weltumrundung bin ich auf einen alten Bekannten gestoßen: auf Barefoot Aleks, der zwischen 2016 und 2017 6197km von Norkap nach Spanien gelaufen ist und den wir auf seiner Reise für eine Nacht beherbergen durften. Das Zusammentreffen dieser beiden so unterschiedlichen Athleten war für beide Seiten ein interessantes Erlebnis und eine große Ehre.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just think for a second about the distances covered before breakfast - never mind the rest of each morning, afternoon and evening. That brings home the immensity of this challenge. That daily mileage is put in a context I could relate to by the team's prologue around Britain to test personnel, procedures and equipment.

So inevitably it's rather less of a travelogue than Mark Beaumont's previous books, and more of a challenge of fundraising, then knocking off daily distances while minimising risks and delays.

"This ride would soon be a simple headline, a series of soundbites, that would completely bely the emotion, complexity and commitment of the process," he writes - but still the narrative is skillfully done. Various mishaps and surprises arrive as genuine shocks, and the amount of fatigue and pain in the last third is all too real and scary.

It's the humanity that shines through, like in the author's previous books, but this time as a counterpoint to all the grit and mental focus. Many occasions he wants to show people his appreciation in print, when he feels he wasn't able to at the time.

Plenty of engaging observations such as practical advice for eating porridge on a bike, warnings of the negativity of social media (including its reaction to the dining tips above), some brain-bending implications of the international date line, and the deployment of some of Scotland's rich vocabulary for rain, fittingly in parts of New Zealand that couldn't be any further from Scotland, but which wear placenames hinting at its heritage.

A wonderful read for the winter, that will help get you up and out in the mornings by showing you that yes, things could be a lot worse!

[Friday · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was familiar with Mark Beaumont's previous adventures but hadn't read the books. I was also familiar with the achievements of some of the other people on his 80 days team. Overall it was enjoyable but it was a long listen. He rides his bike for nearly 80 days straight, which as you can imagine, gets repetitive. It's written with all the logistics of the ride up front in the first chapters, and the daily ride logs and his chronological narration of events throughout the rest. Since I listened to the audiobook the audio from his ride logs are inserted which was fun and breaks up the narration. There are a lot of interesting things to learn about the support team and logistics of an endurance event like this. If you are partially interested, there is also a documentary that was filmed during the ride. I doubt it dives as much inti the mindset he had during the ride, but might be a good introduction before committing to a 16hour audiobook.

[Anthony Frobisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a cyclist it is astonishing to have followed Mark Beaumont's exploits over the last 10 years or so. But this challenge was far beyond the ordinary endeavour of adventurous challenge. To push your body to cycle an average of 240 miles per day for 80 days is incredible...as is the amazing logistical support and difficulties in ensuring Mark is able to focus on one thing only - turning the pedals.
A superb book by a supreme athlete.

[AshishB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is simply perfect diary for another touring cyclist. I would've liked to read more of the diet he followed or how plans were done but sadly these things were not explained in depth. Also while reading this book it feels how silent the Mark Beaumont is in real life. The way he has caried himself out of terrible situations is so really commendable. Touring has its own set of problems and complications and that's the most amazing and adventurous Part of it.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autobiographical account of Mark Beaumont's epic challenge to cycle an incredible 240 miles, every day for two and a half months, completing 18,000 miles: gaining two Guiness World Records, the second being greatest distance in one month. Mark Beaumont, as well as a Super-athlete, is a sport journalist bringing pace & fascination to the story. His enthusiasm and consideration for the four teams making it all possible is endearing.

[Rebecca Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An honest account of Beaumont’s challenge to cycle around the world in 80 days. The honesty coming when discussing his own inability to engage with his support team because of the level of focus he had during this time and the brutal timetable he put on himself to complete each day. 16 hours a day in the saddle, every. Single. Day. The mindset you need to do this is extraordinary. An interesting read.

[Kelvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic page turning cycling book. Adventure packed, gobsmacking and exciting. I approached the book knowing that it was not going to be about people and places, but wasn’t quite ready for how Mark and ‘record’ focused it was. I have read all of Mark’s books, learnt heaps in this one and eagerly wait for another.

[Jubin Chheda]

This is a helluva journey. Having read and followed Mark Beaumont as he went on the journey - he writes straight from the heart. Apart from the ride and the landscapes themselves, the empathy comes through with a few road incidents. Apart from that the team building and team dynamics were great to read about too!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Mark last week as I was part of the Edinburgh to Cardiff Doddie Cup 500 mile 48-hour charity cycle ride. Every break stop he looked totally fresh, while I was a snivelling wreck! You can see the steely determination in the book and real life. I really enjoyed reading this book (I've also watched the documentary but I promise I'm not a stalker🙂).

[Geraint Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around the World in 80 Days" by Mark Beaumont is an inspiring and fast-paced account of his record-breaking cycling journey. While I enjoyed the incredible endurance and determination he showcased, I found it didn’t quite capture the same depth or personal connection as his first world record book. What a remarkable achievement and an impressive read!!

[Richard Metcalfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a phenomenal feat, and given that it's 80 days of doing the same thing, he manages to make it not too repetitive. There's a lack of warmth from him in the book (warmth is there, it comes out in his videos).

[dennis Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book an unbelievable achievement. The only thing that did get to me was mixing miles and kilometres I would have preferred one or the other or both put in a bracket but leading with the same one. Just me but the book was great and well written.

[Oceansized · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up, due to the phenomenal feat. I don't mind the somewhat repetitious nature of diary style reads, but can appreciate some might find them a touch bland. Would have liked a final chapter focussed on the months following the race and the recovery, both physically and mentally.

[Abhinav Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read in years. Love the journey. I want to bike across Russia and Mongolia even though the experience sounded terrifying. Mark is a beast. A freak accomplishment that will always inspire me to keep going when the going gets harder and harder. I will do this ride one day before I die.

[Dave B · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptional endeavour of sheer endurance. The book catalogues the sacrifices made to achieve this almighty task. The personality of the author shines through and it isn't positive. You wouldn't want to work for him.

[Philip Carman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring book. Unlike a lot of travel books the commentary didn't become tedious or repetitious.

[Aaron Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into discipline & focus

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring story of all the effort and persistence to achieve Mark’s dream.