Mark Beaumont

Mark Beaumont first appeared on our screens in 2008 with BBC1 documentary series The Man Who Cycled the World, telling the inside story of his extraordinary 18,000-mile round-the-world bike race, where he smashed the previous Guinness World Record by a staggering 82 days. Just a year later, Mark set out on his second ultra-endurance expedition, cycling 13,000 miles and climbing the highest peaks of North and South America. Mark’s journey was again captured for a BBC1 documentary series, The Man Who Cycled the Americas.

Furthermore, Mark has been involved in two major ocean rowing expeditions. In 2011, he joined a team of six in a historic row through the Canadian Arctic, as BBC cameraman and presenter for Rowing the Arctic as well as on the oars. Their aim was to reach a former location of the North Magnetic Pole. Early in 2012, Mark joined another team to break the world record for rowing across the Atlantic. They were 27 days and over 2,000 miles into the expedition when disaster struck; they capsized and had to be rescued.

In June 2013, Mark set out on a 10-day cross-Scotland challenge in aid of the STV Appeal. Having ditched the bike, Mark had to cover 230 miles of Scotland under his own steam. Following the Highland Fault Line from the west to the east coast, Mark had to swim 11 miles of open sea and cold lochs, run 219 miles over mountains and tough terrain, and face miles of unforgiving tarmac.

Mark has also presented on Country Tracks for BBC1 and numerous BBC Radio Scotland programmes. He recently raced against the sun along Scotland’s north coast, to watch the sunset at beautiful Sandwood Bay as part of BBC2 Scotland’s Midsummer Live . In addition he took part in the Trois Etapes, the world’s largest pro-am cycling race, which was televised for Channel 4. When not on expedition, writing or at events, Mark works with a number of charities including the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Orkidstudio, the Saltire Foundation and Scottish Student Sports.

Growing up on a farm in Perthshire, Scotland Mark has been adventuring since an early age. After cycling across Scotland at the age of 12 he went on to solo John O’Groats to Lands End at the age of 15 and also became a ski instructor in his teenage years.

The Man Who Cycled the World and The Man Who Cycled the Americas have gone on to become bestselling books and along with Rowing the Arctic were all successful BBC series.

In 2018, he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to sport, broadcasting, and charity.