324 days, 30,000 kilometres, and 25 countries.
That’s what 69-year-old Vankoughnet local, Mark Herbst, endured during his recent around-the-world cycling trip, demonstrating the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit.
Along his journey, Herbst raised over $56,000 for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and kept a meticulous log to submit to Guinness World Records, in the hopes of being crowned the oldest person ever to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle.
Herbst said there were several factors that inspired him to make this journey, but his number one inspiration was his late wife, Jackie, who died of cancer in December 2021.
“It was a goal, something to motivate me on a daily basis,” Herbst said. “But also to honour Jackie and her spirit, because she had such a zest for life. And she would be so mad at me if I wasn’t doing something to live life to its ultimate.”
Herbst set off on January 7, 2025, from Bangkok, Thailand. From there, he rode his bike through Southeast Asia and subsequently Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Europe, and Central Asia, finishing back in Bangkok on November 27. He rode eight to twelve hours and 120 kilometres on average a day, with 22 kilograms of gear, only taking a day off once every two weeks.
According to Herbst, he has been cycling for over 40 years and currently runs a coaching business called No Junk Miles. He says Jackie was also an avid cycler and dedicated athlete and participated in races, marathons, and triathlons.
When choosing where to donate the funds, Herbst decided on the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, as they are one of the top cancer research hospitals in the world.
“I thought this needs to be bigger than me, because I didn’t want it to be just about me, I wanted to give something back. And cancer speaks to everyone, I’ve learned, especially on my journey.”
Herbst said the planning and preparation of the trip was challenging, as each day, he had to plan his route based on where he could get food and water, where he could sleep, how safe the area was, and what the weather would be like. Approximately half the time he slept in his tent and the other half in hotels or through a non-profit organization called Warm Showers, which connects cyclists with hosts who offer free lodging and meals.
Herbst said the kindness and generosity of others and the friends he made along the way is a big part of what kept him going through his long and arduous journey.
“I had two cases in Australia, where people who I’d never met, sent me a message and said, ‘you’re coming through our hometown, we’re not going to be there, but the house key is under the mat, make yourself at home.’ It blew my mind constantly. Sometimes I’d be sitting eating my dinner somewhere, and someone would come and talk to me then I’d go to pay my bill, and they had already paid it.”
Herbst said he encountered several individuals he connected with and had similar stories to his own; one being a fellow cyclist he met at the Golden Gate bridge, who had also lost his wife. There were many moments like these when he says he could feel Jackie’s energy, and it was that feeling that comforted him and kept him pushing forward.
“There were times I could really feel Jackie, like when I was having a problem and a solution would present itself…and when I was having a down moment, I could feel her. It felt the same as if she was giving me a hug,” he said.
Herbst is now in the process of gathering the information he needs to submit to Guinness World Records and is planning to write a book about his trip.
For more information on Herbst’s journey, and to find a link to the donation page, visit his Facebook and Instagram pages titled “Mark’s Epic Ride.”
