Add Category
Cyclist Lachlan Morton has set a new record for the fastest ride around Australia — smashing the previous record by seven days.
Morton, from the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, finished the 14,201-kilometre Around Australia ride in his hometown of Port Macquarie on Saturday afternoon, where he was met with a crowd of cheering supporters.
"It feels like a culmination of all the things I've done and put it into one bike ride. It feels special," he said.
Communities around the country have shown up to support Lachlan Morton during the 14,201km ride. (Supplied: Karter Machen / EF Education–EasyPost)
The 32-year-old professional cyclist left Port Macquarie on September 5 and took 30 days, nine hours and 59 minutes to make his way back again.
The previous record was set by David Alley, who took 37 days, 20 hours and 45 minutes to circumnavigate the country in 2011.
The new record was officiated at Morton's finish line, the Tacking Point Lighthouse, by the Roads Record Association of Australia.
To qualify for the Around Australia record, a rider must travel through six locations around the nation, including Darwin, and exceed more than 14,200 kilometres.
Lachlan Morton has ridden around mainland Australia to raise money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. (Supplied)
Roads Record Association of Australia president Lachlan Davis travelled behind Morton for the entire journey.
He said he did not believe Morton's record time would ever be beaten.
"My favourite quote about road records is [from] Sir Hubert Opperman, which is, 'You're not racing the man before you, you're racing the man after you', and I don't think there is a man after this one," Mr Davis said.
During the ride, Morton pedalled through desolate bush roads and endured tough weather conditions.
"I had some incredible experiences by myself in the outback, riding through the night, seeing sunrises, close calls with trucks, wildlife, hot days, cold and long days," he said.
Lachlan Morton started his cycling journey around Australia when he left Port Macquarie on September 5. (Supplied: Karter Machen / EF Education–EasyPost)
Aside from breaking the record, Morton's ride also raised more than $100,000 for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, a not-for-profit that provides educational support for First Nations children and young people.
"We wanted to choose a charity that was having an impact in the communities we were riding through," he said.
Morton's former cycling coach, Graham Seers, was in the crowd who watched him cross the finish line at Tacking Point Lighthouse.
He said watching Morton create history was a special moment.
"Very proud, it's hard to put it into words. If you blink, you miss it, those 30 days have gone so fast," Mr Seers said.
"Watching Lach achieve it, day after day, motivated despite whatever was in front of him — head blocks, the cold, 3 degrees at some points and [then] 37 degrees around Katherine in the Northern Territory."
For Morton, the journey was more than a professional accomplishment.
"But all in all, it's just an incredible way to see the country," he said.
Morton will now rest ahead of a competitive cycling event in the US later this month.