Two-time Dakar Rally winner Sam Sunderland is preparing to take on one of his biggest challenges yet, with the Briton aiming to become the fastest person to circumnavigate the globe on a motorcycle.
Sunderland set off from London on September 5 aboard a Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer, with the former factory racer needing to cover almost 29,000 kilometres across 16 countries and five continents in less than 19 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes to break the existing record.
The current benchmark has stood since 2002, when fellow Britons Kevin and Julia Sanders completed their own circumnavigation. Sunderland’s attempt will take him across Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North America and North Africa before returning to London.
The challenge comes after Sunderland’s first attempt at the record was postponed when he suffered a broken back during training. Following months of rehabilitation, the 37-year-old says he is now feeling strong and ready to take on the demanding journey.
“Breaking my back reinforced why I want to do this. Challenges don’t always happen when everything is perfect, they’re about how you respond when things don’t go your way,” Sunderland revealed.
The former Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider has already experienced some of the world’s toughest motorcycle challenges. Sunderland won the Dakar Rally for the first time in 2017 before claiming a second victory in 2022, the same year he secured the inaugural FIM World Rally-Raid title. He retired from competitive racing in 2024.
This time, the challenge is less about racing other riders and more about maintaining the pace required to stay ahead of the clock. Sunderland will need to ride further than the length of the UK every day, with some days requiring up to 16 hours in the seat.
The six-leg route begins with a run from London to Istanbul before continuing on to Bangkok and then Kuala Lumpur. From there, Sunderland will cross the Australian outback from Perth to Sydney before riding the entire length of New Zealand.
The longest section of the journey will follow across North America, taking Sunderland from Vancouver to Montreal. The final leg will begin in Casablanca, Morocco, with the Briton then heading back to London to complete the circumnavigation.
Along the way, Sunderland will face constantly changing weather conditions, unfamiliar roads, physical exhaustion and the mental strain that comes with spending long hours on the motorcycle. The route will also include up to six long-haul transfers, multiple time zones and the pressure of racing against the clock.
His Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer will be equipped with Michelin Anakee Road tyres and a large 30-litre fuel tank, while any urgent maintenance required during the journey will rely on Triumph’s global network of dealerships and aftersales facilities.
The route will also take in iconic locations including the Bonneville Salt Flats, while Sunderland will attempt to touch two antipodal points – locations on opposite sides of the Earth – as part of the record attempt.
The Sanders family, whose record Sunderland is attempting to break, have supported his effort by sharing insight from their own journey and explaining the parameters required for a true circumnavigation.
“Records are meant to be broken. We did this more than 20 years ago. Sam’s going to face a whole set of new challenges compared to back then. We’re really keen to see how Sam does,” Kevin Sanders said.
While the record is the target, Sunderland is also hoping the attempt encourages others to take on their own adventures, overcome setbacks and push beyond what they believe is possible.
“I know exactly how difficult this is going to be. This isn’t just about riding a motorcycle. It’s about managing sleep deprivation, making decisions when you’re exhausted, adapting to whatever the road throws at you, and continuing to move forward every single day,” Sunderland concluded.
