Pan-American Highway world record cycle attempt

Two University of St Andrews students are attempting to break the world record for the fastest time to complete the gruelling Pan-American Highway from Alaska to Argentina by bike.

Medical student Danny Beech and physics student Chris Lally will average over 140 miles per day over the 14000 mile journey which follows the spine of the Rocky Mountains, through the tropical climate of Central America, across the lifeless Atacama desert and finally over the Andes towards Patagonia and on to the bottom of Argentina.

The pair, who head off at the end of July, are funding the world record attempt with a £6000 R&A International Travel Scholarship and a £5000 Alex Richardson Award.

The R&A International Scholarship encourages students to broaden their minds in new, challenging and imaginative environments by funding international travel for undergraduates or recent graduates.

The Alex Richardson Award was founded in 2009 in memory of University of St Andrews student Alex Richardson, whose untimely death occurred midway through his junior honours year.

Danny said he and Chris hoped their venture would inspire others. He said: “It’s incredibly exciting to have been given this opportunity; we just can’t wait to get to that start line in Prudhoe Bay up in Alaska. I think it’s fantastic that the University is supporting our adventure and we just really hope we can make it to Argentina and set that world record.

“We hope that our adventure will inspire people to dream big. We hope to show that with enough passion and determination you can achieve anything you want to.”

Notes to news editors

For more information and to sponsor Danny and Chris visit their Cycle the Americas web page. Visit these web pages for more information on the R&A International Scholarship Fund and the Alex Richardson Award.

Issued by the University of St Andrews Communications Office, 01334 467310 or [email protected].