Endurance star Caroline Livesey outlines plans for 2026 – including ‘insane’ record bike attempt

Endurance athlete Caroline Livesey is looking to follow up on her incredible season of sporting success by attempting to set the new world record for an ‘insane’ non-stop ride around the north coast of Scotland.

The North Coast 500 challenge will see her bidding to complete the 830 km (516 miles) route in under 35 hours, maintaining an average speed of 24kph (15mph) on what she fully accepts are some of the toughest roads to ride in the UK.

Regarded as one of the world’s ultimate road trips, the route starts and finishes in the city of Inverness and takes in some truly stunning coastal scenery in places such as Applecross and Achmelvich in the west and Durness and Duncansby Head in the north on a clockwise tour of Great Britain’s most northerly regions.

Recent run of success

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 as the inaugural winner at the Scottish National Gravel Bike Championships.

With plans to once again split her season between gravel, cycling, and triathlon events, Livesey has confirmed she will take part in the Triathlon Portocolom this April, before then turning her attention to a series of bike races, which should stand her in good stead for the record attempt in June.

‘A case of head down… teeth gritted’

Talking to TRI247 about her big challenge, she said: “We are aiming for the supported female record ratified by WUCA and Guinness World Records. It will be a case of going full aero on the Orbea ORDU… head down… teeth gritted.

“Initially, I’ll be racing in the longer gravel races to prepare for the record attempt, but I will also be looking at some of the shorter single-day gravel races because I really enjoy them and they are a great way to improve fitness.

“I will likely leave most of the triathlons until the second half of the year, but will do the Portocolom International Triathlon, as it is my local race.”

As well as attempting to put her name in the record books by becoming the first woman to break the 35-hour mark, Livesey is also looking to raise awareness and funds for her 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.

Raising awareness and funds

“This endeavour is about the challenge, of course, but I will be doing it to raise funds for Peak Education Nepal. I have a fantastic support team and some great sponsors already, but additional funding is needed,” she said.

“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. 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.”

“If anyone is interested in being a part of the team as we strive for peak performance, please do get in touch. Now that we have made the announcement, it is time for me to get stuck into the unglamorous task of getting my body and mind ready for this insane effort.”

Anyone wishing to get involved should contact Caroline either through her Instagram account or by emailing her at carolinelivesey@ymail.com.

You can read more about the Peak Education Nepal charity on their website HERE.