Endurance superstar Caroline Livesey has set a new world record time for cycling non-stop around Scotland’s north coast – smashing the fastest known time by more than four hours.
The triathlete and gravel bike champion completed her North Coast 500 challenge on Wednesday afternoon, having raced her way around the 830km (516 miles) route in 32 hours and 21 minutes.
Having set off from Inverness Castle at 4am on Wednesday, she knew that to break the FKT of 36 hours and 39 minutes, she would have to maintain an average speed of 24kph (15mph) on roads which are widely regarded as some of the most stunning in Europe.
Powering through the night
Powering through the towns and villages of Applecross and Achmelvich in the west and Durness and Duncansby Head in the north, she returned to the Highland city not only well ahead of the record but also close to three hours faster than her target of 35 hours.
While her goal was to claim the world record for a supported female, ratified by the World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA) and Guinness World Records, she was also raising funds and awareness for her own Peak Education Nepal charity, which she founded with her husband, Mark, to provide children who cannot afford it with the opportunity to get an education.
Mark, who posts as @the_brick_session on Instagram, was a key part of Caroline’s support group, and after she had completed her mammoth task, he couldn’t help but post about the immense feeling of admiration he had for his wife and her achievement.
“As achievements go for Caroline, this is right up there… possibly the greatest of them all,” he said. “@caroline.livesey has just smashed the NC500 world record (provisional). This is only a quick post for now; there’s so much more to come.
‘She is stubborn and relentlessly detailed’
“I never once doubted Caroline could not do this. I know her too well. She’s stubborn and relentlessly detailed to the point of madness, but most of all, she simply loves riding her bike.
“Watching Caroline take on something this brutally difficult was an emotional rollercoaster. Not only did I have to watch my wife suffer for hour after hour, but I also had to document every part of it along the way.
“The time itself doesn’t surprise me. Deep down, I always believed she had a 32-hour ride in her. What she has achieved out there is hard to put into words. The toughness, composure, determination and sheer love for the challenge was incredible to witness.”
Having spent the last few weeks meticulously planning her attempt, she knew the weather would play its part, and while there was plenty of rain along the way, there was little wind to hold her up, and she was able to fly around the hilly Scottish roads.
Rice pudding, mashed potato and milkshakes
As well as providing her with the traditional energy gels and nutrition chews, her support team knew the latter stages of the bid would be the hardest and were quickly on the scene with rice pudding, mashed potatoes and milkshakes to keep her going.
When she announced the record attempt in January, Caroline explained why she chose this specific task.
“I wanted something that was on the very edge of what I think is possible for me, something iconic that will capture people’s imagination, and a challenge I have a personal connection with,” she said. “This route in the extreme north of my homeland ticks all the boxes. It’s going to test every single part of me, all the skills I have spent a lifetime developing.”
Livesey has enjoyed a stunning recent period of success, which began in December 2024, when she became the first athlete to win the world’s most extreme triathlon, the Patagonman XTRI, twice.
She followed that up in 2025 by winning the first-ever UCI Gravel World Series bike race in Thailand – at the Dustman in Kanchanaburi – and she was also crowned the inaugural winner at the Scottish National Gravel Bike Championships.
You can read more about the Peak Education Nepal charity on their website HERE.
