Sam Sunderland to Attempt World Record Ride
Dakar Rally Champion and Red Bull athlete Sam Sunderland is taking on one of the toughest motorcycling feats imaginable — attempting to become the fastest person to circumnavigate the globe by motorcycle. And he’ll do it aboard a Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer. Sunderland is chasing a Guinness World Record that has stood for over 20 years — the mark to beat is 19 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes, set in 2002 by Kevin and Julia Sanders. To break it, he’ll need to cover the equivalent of the UK’s full length every day, averaging close to 1600km daily over 19 consecutive days.
“This will test me to the core — physically and mentally,” Sunderland said. “But I want to do more than just edge past the record. I want to set a new bar, one that makes the next person really earn it, just like I have to now.”A Brutal Challenge Ahead
The journey will see Sunderland cross more than 15 countries over five continents, riding through 13 time zones, extreme temperatures, unpredictable terrain and sheer fatigue. Starting and finishing in London, the record attempt must follow strict Guinness rules: it must be continuous, follow one direction around the globe, touch two antipodal points, cover at least 18,000 miles (28,968km), and be completed on the same motorcycle.
Unlike the off-road Dakar Rally — where Sunderland has triumphed twice — this is a road-based challenge with even higher daily mileage and longer riding hours. “There’ll be days when I’m out there for 15 or 16 hours, in cold, rain, heat, humidity — fighting exhaustion, jetlag, and mental fatigue,” he said.The Route: Six Epic Stages
Sunderland’s six-stage route begins in the UK before stretching across Europe to Turkey and the Middle East, riding from Saudi Arabia to the UAE. From there, a long-haul flight brings him to Australia and New Zealand, where he’ll tackle long days across both countries.He’ll then head to North America, crossing the US and Canada, before jumping into Africa via Morocco. Finally, he’ll re-enter Europe through Spain and sprint home to London.
The journey must also include two antipodal points — locations on the globe directly opposite one another — one of the key requirements for an official world circumnavigation.The Machine: Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer
Sunderland will take on the world aboard the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer, a bike built for long-distance adventure with a 30L fuel tank, class-leading comfort and off-road capability.
Read about the Triumph Tiger 1200 here…
Paul Stroud, Triumph Motorcycles Chief Commercial Officer, said:
“This is a hugely challenging undertaking for Sam and the Red Bull team. The Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer is the perfect partner for this mission — capable, powerful, and built for extreme conditions. We wish Sam every success.”The current record-holders, Kevin and Julia Sanders, have shown full support for Sunderland’s attempt, providing insights and encouragement.
“Records are meant to be broken,” said Kevin. “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 excited to see how he does.”
Sunderland departs this September 2025, with full coverage and updates available via RedBull.com.