The Top Ten Modern Records in Sports

World premieres, record highs: 2018 was a monstrous year for sports exploits and we’re offering you a top 10 records.

  1. The Great British Swim by Ross Edgley

After 157 days at sea, Ross Edgley finally lays his feet on land
There are classic open water challenges, and then there’s the Great British Swim. Known for his feisty exploits (he has already climbed the rope to the height of Everest and ran a marathon with a Mini Countryman), Ross Edgley had this time set out to swim more than 3,000 kilometers around Britain without ever touching the ground. Which he accomplished in 157 days.

  1. The world record marathoner Eliud Kipchoge

For most people, 7km / his almost a sprint. This view is not shared by Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge. On September 16, 2017, the 33-year-old ran the fastest marathon in history in Berlin. The while losing its hares on abandonment to 16 kilometers from the finish. This did not have any impact on Kipchoge’s performance, as by finishing the race in 2: 01: 39, he broke the previous record (signed Dennis Kimetto) of 78 seconds.

  1. Lars Erik Skjervheim, the man who skied up the slopes for 24 hours

For most people, skiing is downhill. And pretty fast. But the Norwegian climber / ultra-runner Lars Eric Skjervheim broke the all-day ski climb record in 2018. And yes, this is the largest portion of land ever covered in this way in this time frame. Improving the record of the American Mike Foote (18,653 vertical meters), Skjervheim made 44 times a loop of 900 meters to accumulate a total of 20,938 vertical meters.

  1. Crossing Europe by bike by Sean Conway

Adventurer-cyclist Sean Conway broke the world record for cycling across Europe last May, after covering just over 6400 kilometers between Cabo De Roca (Portugal) and Ufa (Russia) in 24 days, 18 hours and 39 minutes. A feat that the man who also made a 6700-mile triathlon around Britain had already tried in 2017 before giving up on the injury. But this time, Conway crossed nine countries, woke up next to a newly killed Wolf and drove around 18 hours a day in constant pain. Before we finally beat the existing nine-hour record. The equivalent of 21 minutes per day.

  1. World cycling speed record by Denise Mueller-Korenek

The American from San Diego Denise Mueller-Korenek has officially become this year the fastest person in the world on a bike. So much so that it could even pass a jet at the time of takeoff. Out of retirement (after breaking the women’s record two years ago) to do better than the Dutchman Fred Romleberg in 1995 (who had reached 268 km/h), Denise chose to achieve the feat at Bonneville Salt Flats, a speed Mecca.

  1. The first paddle downhill of the Essequibo, by Laura Bingham, Ness Knight and Pip Stewart

In April, a trio of badass adventurers crossed for the first time the 1000 kilometers of the river Guyanese Essequibo. And although the three Britons were used to the feats (Stewart had sailed from Malaysia to London, Knight swam the length of the Thames, and Laura Bingham sailed across the Atlantic), they had limited kayaking experience

  1. The express ascent of El Capitan’s “”nose”” by Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell

On paper, it seemed impossible. The route of El Capitan’s”” nose,”” in the heart of Yosemite National Park (USA), is so abrupt that elite climbers feel lucky when they manage to dominate it in 24 hours. But on June 6, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell simply redefined the boundaries by paying it at 1: 58: 07.

  1. Kevin Mayer’s world decathlon record

Sunday 16 September, Decastar of Talence. The Frenchman Kevin Mayer is getting ready to take the start of the 1500 m, the final event of the decathlon. If he runs it in less than four ’49″”, he is sure to break the world record of the American Ashton Eaton.

  1. The Enduoman Arch 2 Arc of Perrine Fage

When an Ironman triathlon is not enough, the real ones attack the Enduroman Arch 2 Arc. A (very) big endurance test that sees competitors running from the London Marble Arch in Dover (140km), swimming across the English Channel and finally cycling to the Parisian Arc de Triomphe (288 km).

  1. The Bob Graham Round By Kilian Jornet

The Catalan alien has struck again. With a near-mythical status in the ultra-running world and a mind-boggling Alpine Board (he climbed his first 3000-meter summit before his sixth birthday), he attacked the Bob Graham Round last July.”