In 1899, a cyclist left Perth with the aim of riding the circumference of the Australian mainland. It took him 245 days. In the century to follow, that record mark has slowly been whittled down. On Saturday, Australian pro cyclist Lachlan Morton smashed a new best time – finishing the 14,200km journey around the continent in just 30 days, nine hours and 59 minutes
It is a remarkable feat. The prior best time, set by Queenslander David Alley in 2011, sat at almost 38 days. But by averaging more than 450km each day, Morton has completed a lap of the country in just a month – and raised $130,000 and counting for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
