Australian cyclist Lachlan Morton, known for his endurance feats, has set a new record for the fastest lap around Australia. The 32-year-old, who rides for EF Education-EasyPost, completed the monumental journey in just 30 days, 9 hours, and 59 minutes, finishing at the Port Macquarie lighthouse on Saturday. His time obliterated the previous record set by Dave Alley in 2011, who completed the lap in 37 days, 20 hours, and 45 minutes.
Morton’s journey around Australia highlights not just his athletic prowess but also his dedication to causes close to his heart. Throughout the ride, Lachlan collaborated with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, raising over $127,000 AUD (around $86,000 USD) to provide books and learning resources for Indigenous children in remote communities across Australia.
Reflecting on the impact of his fundraising efforts in an EF-Education Easy Post press release, Morton said, “Being able to use something that's a passion for me to help people's lives in some way is always special, and I think being able to have some impact on some of the places we’ve travelled through means a lot to me. I think on the whole, the cycling community is always pretty generous. It’s an expression of that.”
This is not the first time Morton has used his bike to support a cause. In early 2022, he rode 1,064 kilometres from Munich to the Polish-Ukrainian border in a single push, raising over $250,000 for Ukrainian refugees. His relentless drive and compassion for humanitarian causes have made him a unique figure in the cycling world.
“Mentally, it's a lot of time to be focused. And every morning you wake up, and your body is kind of like destroyed, and you push through, it just chips away at you, so definitely the last four or five days were a pretty big challenge mentally. I've never been so relieved to finish something as I was today.”
Having raced in major competitions like the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, Morton is no stranger to pushing his limits. However, this latest achievement cements his reputation as one of the most determined and inspirational figures in cycling.