Alex McCormack has set a new provisional seven-day distance world record, riding 3,826.47km in a brutal ultra-endurance effort that saw him average 18.5 hours in the saddle each day.
Riding repeats of a flat 150km out-and-back route along the Moselle river in Koblenz, Germany, McCormack today surpassed the previous record of 3,813.81km set by Arvis Sprude in 2024. The new record is awaiting ratification by the World Ultra Cycling Association.
McCormack’s daily distances culminated in a monstrous 727.75km final day, with several days exceeding 600km.
The 28-year-old Canyon-sponsored rider completed the challenge in 168 hours of near-continuous riding. The ride was made more difficult by unseasonably cold, rainy and snowy weather, forcing him to limit time off the bike to only a few hours per day for recovery, nutrition and sleep.
Speaking to BikeRadar, Canyon team lead sports marketing Markus Schweikert said: "I don’t know where to start – it feels like it’s been four weeks, not seven days.
"To be honest, we had a grand arrival planned, but [with the weather] we were worried he wouldn’t make the record. Everyone wrote it off at some point.
"Even an hour before [he finished], we weren’t sure he would make it – it came right down to the wire.
"As soon as the clock hit seven days, he was about 4km from the end [of the 150km loop] and he stopped dead – he had absolutely nothing left, he was empty.”
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Alex McCormack’s 7-day record in 5 mind-bending numbers
- 3,826.47km total distance covered
- 168 hours' ride time
- 18.5 hours' average riding per day
- 727.75km covered on the final day
- 14,000 calories consumed daily
"We have a doctor on standby"
Schweikert says McCormack pushed himself to the absolute limits of endurance, with a staggering effort required to make up time lost due to the weather: "The last 48 hours were so painful – he slept only an hour in the last 40 hours. Last night, he was singing karaoke with the driver [to stay awake].
"Right now he’s completely passed out, and we have someone watching him 24-hours. The important thing is he’s in full health though – we took safety very seriously.
"We have a doctor on standby, but there’s no concern – he had a sip of champagne, a whole glass actually when he finished the ride."
Throughout the attempt, McCormack was supported by a small crew, who assisted with logistics, nutrition and recovery. He consumed an estimated 14,000 calories per day to sustain the effort.
Support team member Harry Dowdney said the poor weather forced McCormack to wear many layers, which affected his aerodynamic performance, and the challenge presented other practical challenges: “The biggest thing for the support crew was to wake Alex after short naps and make sure he kept eating and drinking.
“There was no way he could replace those 14,000 calories. We had to constantly remind him to eat and drink, passing him food as often as we could.”
McCormack rode a custom Canyon Speedmax CFR for the whole attempt.
In a build more typical of elite triathlon racing, McCormack’s bike featured a high-stack aero front end, integrated hydration, an aggressively nose-down saddle, bike lights from Exposure and a top tube bag.
A seasoned ultra-distance racer, McCormack’s previous results include wins at the Atlas and Hellenic Mountain Races, as well as the Highland Trail 550.
The latest record forms part of his preparation for a summer campaign targeting the Triple Crown of US ultra-distance events: the Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race and Arizona Trail Race.
He also set a Double Everesting World Record in 2025, climbing 17,732 metres in just under 21 hours.
A film crew accompanied McCormack on his latest challenge, with a documentary due to be released later this year.
