Mark Beaumont

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For the music journalist, see Mark Beaumont (journalist).
Mark Beaumont
File:Mark Beaumont - 1.jpg
Born (1983-01-01) 1 January 1983 (age 41)
Scotland
Nationality Scottish
Occupation Cyclist
Known for Record for cycling round the world
Website markbeaumontonline.com

Mark Ian Macleod Beaumont (born 1 January 1983)[1] is a record-breaking long-distance British [2][3][4] cyclist, adventurer, broadcaster, documentary maker and author. He held the record for cycling round the world, completing his 18,297 miles (29,446 km) route on 15 February 2008, having taken 194 days and 17 hours. On 18 February 2010 Beaumont completed a quest to cycle the Americas,[5] cycling from Anchorage, Alaska, USA to Ushuaia in Southern Argentina, for a BBC Television series.[6]

In the summer of 2011 Beaumont joined a six-man team to row from Resolute Bay in the Nunavut Territory, Canada to the 1996 location of the North Magnetic Pole.[7] Each of these expeditions was filmed for BBC One documentaries. On 1 February 2012 Beaumont and his team of rowers were rescued from the Atlantic Ocean when their rowing boat capsized during a crossing from Morocco to Barbados.[8] On 21 May 2015 he rode from Cairo to Cape Town (10,000 km) and broke the World Record for fastest solo ride for the length of Africa by finishing in 42 days and 8 hours.[9]

Personal life

Beaumont was home-schooled until the age of 11 by his mother, Una. He was then educated at the High School of Dundee. At age 15,[10] he completed a solo ride the length of Great Britain from John o'Groats to Land's End.

He has a degree in politics from Glasgow University.[11] He was awarded Graduate of the Year 2009 from the University of Glasgow, and won the 2010 Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award. In 2012 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of Dundee.

Mark Beaumont has two sisters called Heather and Hannah, is married to wife Nicci and has a baby daughter born in August 2013. He currently lives in Perthshire, Scotland.

The Guinness world record

File:Mark Beaumont - 2.jpg
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To qualify for the Guinness world record, Beaumont was required to travel an 18,000-mile route that passes through two approximately antipodal points. The route began and ended in Paris, France, riding through 20 countries across Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia, Australasia and North America. The bicycle used for the attempt was a Koga-Miyata[12] with a Rohloff internal gearing hub, which consumed the spokes yet was used to build a new wheel, that held up. The bike was loaded with 66 pounds (30 kg) of equipment such as tools, cameras and other equipment to support him during the journey.

Beaumont endured many hardships during his voyage. In Lafayette, Louisiana he was involved in a collision with a car and robbed later the same day, and elsewhere struggled with illnesses such as dysentery.

As a result of breaking the World Record, Mark Beaumont has raised £18,000 for charity.

Beaumont's video diaries of the journey formed the basis of a BAFTA nominated documentary,[13] The Man who Cycled the World, which was broadcast by the BBC in August 2008.[11]

Beaumont's around-the-world cycling record was broken by Vin Cox on 1 August 2010.[14]

BBC – Cycling the Americas

File:Bike ridden by Mark Beaumont during Americas cycle - 01.jpg
Bike ridden by Mark Beaumont during Americas cycle

Beaumont cycled from Anchorage, Alaska, USA to Ushuaia in Southern Argentina, arriving on 18 February 2010. In addition to cycling 13,080 miles (21,050 km) in 268 days, he climbed the highest peaks in North and South America: McKinley and Aconcagua. Along with commenting online throughout the journey, he recorded the adventure for a BBC One documentary series, The Man Who Cycled The Americas. The first in the series of three episodes was broadcast on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 on BBC One. Beaumont bypassed Colombia and the Darien Gap on his journey.

Ocean rowing

During summer 2011, Beaumont joined a team of six in rowing through the Canadian Arctic, as the BBC cameraman as well as on the oars. Their aim was to reach a 1996 location of the North Magnetic Pole. It is only in the last few years that the sea ice has melted enough for such a route to be attempted.

In early 2012, Beaumont joined another team in an attempt to break the world record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. After 27 days and over 2,000 miles into the expedition, they capsized and had to be rescued.

Other endeavours

File:Mark Beaumont carrying the olympic torch - 01.jpg
Beaumont carrying the olympic torch

In addition to being an accomplished cyclist, Beaumont is a skier and rower. In June 2009, he planned to participate in a 12-strong team attempt to row across the North Atlantic in a record-breaking 45 days. The team would have been led by Edinburgh stockbroker turned adventurer Leven Brown whose 14-man La Mondiale crew has beaten the record from the Canaries to Barbados.[15] However, the boat he was going to use sank in the Atlantic Ocean.[16]

Beaumont was the first torchbearer for day 26 of the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay.[17]

In September 2012, Beaumont plans to lead the World Cycle Challenge - the first fully supported group circumnavigation of the globe, with the aim of cycling 18,010 miles (28,984 km) in 245 days.[18]

Media

Television

Literature

  • The Man who Cycled the World: Beaumont’s first book, and the best selling cycling book in the UK for 2010 and 2011.[20]
  • The Man Who Cycled The Americas[21]

References

  1. ↑ Debrett's biodata. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  2. ↑ [1]http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130526012719/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rql0m
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Web Site for the Round-the-World Record Attempt Archived 21 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32839837 |accessdate=2012-07-19
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Review – "The Man who Cycled the World". The Times Archived 17 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Web Site for the Round-the-World Record Attempt Archived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ from Edinburgh's Evening News. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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