Ultra-cyclist Morton shatters 'lap' of Australia: "Every morning, your body is a wreck"

Cycling 14,201 kilometers, a sort of 'lap of Australia': that's what the bike enthusiast set out to do starting on Thursday the 6th, as reported by Escape Collective. In short, a tour through his homeland for Morton, who seemed incredibly excited for the journey.

Earlier this year, Morton won the unique gravel race Unbound, and he’s not just doing this ride for fun. The long-distance athlete also aimed to set a record time for the journey, known as the Around Australia Record. The current record stands at 37 days, 20 hours and 45 minutes. To beat that, Morton had to ride at least 400 kilometers (!) per day, starting and finishing in his birthplace, Port Macquarie, New South Wales (located in the east of the country).

For the seasoned rider, who already has several ultra-rides to his name, this was still a first. It would be the very first time he was supported along the way: friends and family followed him in a camper, sharing the adventure with him, albeit from a different vehicle. "I'm super happy that we've assembled a group of good friends, all people I trust a lot," Morton told the platform.

"It will definitely be new for me. I’ve had many great experiences during long bike rides. But it will be special to share that with a group of people I’m very close to," the free-spirited rider also shared. Once again, he’s raising money for charity, this time for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, an organization that helps children in remote Australian communities gain access to stories and books, especially those written or told in their own languages.

By now, Morton has finished his 'lap' of Australia! The EF Education-EasyPost rider completed the 14,200 (!) kilometers in 30 days, 9 hours and 59 minutes, an impressive new record. He finished the lap a week faster than the previous record. Morton cycled an average of 450 kilometers a day. To avoid the heat in northern Australia and minimize traffic disruptions, Morton started his rides around midnight and cycled until late afternoon. The rest of the time he spent eating, showering and sleeping. His achievement raised over 75,000 euros for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

"It's always special to use your passion to help people’s lives in some way, and it means a lot to me to make an impact on some of the places we traveled through. I think the cycling community, in general, is always quite generous. This is an expression of that," Morton said in a press release.

Even though Morton is accustomed to long-distance challenges, this task took a serious mental toll, even on him. "Mentally, it's a lot of time to stay focused. And every morning when you wake up and your body is a wreck and you push through, but it just gnaws at you. So definitely, the last four or five days were a pretty big mental challenge. You just try to keep showing up and doing it every day. It got pretty tough. I was in a state of fatigue that I had never reached before, so I had to lean on the team to get home. Just spending such an enormous amount of time pushing yourself every day — that is, I think, the real challenge of the Around Australia Record. I’ve never been so relieved to finish something as I am today."