Lael Wilcox will attempt to become the fastest person ever to cycle around the world, departing Buckingham Fountain in Chicago at 4:00 a.m. on June 7, SRAM confirmed on Wednesday. Her target is Mark Beaumont's 2017 record of 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes.
Wilcox plans to cover approximately 29,000 km (18,000 miles) across four continents, with a deadline to finish before August 24 at 6:40 p.m. For the first time in her ultra-racing career, she will ride fully supported, targeting 240 miles per day for 78 days or fewer.
Wilcox already holds the women's around-the-world cycling record, which she set in 2024 after returning to Chicago in 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes, beating the previous women's mark by more than two weeks. Beaumont's overall record, set on a route starting and finishing at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris through 16 countries, still stands as the benchmark according to Guinness World Records.
Why this attempt is different
The tactical shift from self-supported to fully supported racing is central to Wilcox's plan. Her crew, which includes her wife Rue Kaladyte and three to four others travelling in an RV, will handle food, mechanicals, lodging and logistics while Wilcox focuses on pedalling for 16 hours a day, and covering an average of circa 240 miles daily.
"Ultra-endurance cycling is one of the only sports where women compete directly against men," Wilcox said of her ambitions to take the overall record. "And yet our capacity is still constantly doubted. We need more women to prove what's possible. Breaking this record would be inspiring for women and communities all around the world."
She will ride a Specialized S-Works Roubaix with Future Shock suspension and a SRAM RED AXS drivetrain, running a 48/35 chainring with a 10-36 cassette. The setup includes Zipp 202 NSW and 454 NSW wheels, plus Zipp Vuka Evo aerobars with clip extensions.
Guinness World Records' circumnavigation rules require a minimum ridden distance of 18,000 miles, a total journey distance exceeding 24,900 miles, travel in one direction through approximate antipodal points, and the same start and finish location.
She rolls out from Buckingham Fountain on Sunday morning.
