How to Set A World Record

World Records

Imagine setting a world record on your bicycle! Going faster or further than anyone else in the world!! WUCA will help you achieve that dream. Your results will be part of our submissions to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Mind you--even attempting to set a world record is not easy. There are rules, and the rules help assure that anyone in the world can go for the record at any location.  There are application requirements, course measurement rules, and rules for observers and data validation.  But all of these make holding a world record amazing to achieve.

Click here to see the current world records.
Click here to see the rules and process for attempting a world record

WUCA Ultracycling Records

In addition to world records, WUCA supports athletes setting ultracycling records for

  • Specific courses:
    • Across Nations (North to South; East to West)
    • Across States or Provinces(North to South; East to West or Round Trip)
    • From City to City (or Round Trip)
    • Circumnavigating a Nation, a State, a Province
  • Specific Distances or Times, set on the open road or indoor or outdoor tracks
  • Highest mileage completed in a defined period of time--a week, a month, or a year

Many athletes find these the ultimate "segments" on which they can compete against other cyclists in their region. WUCA ultracycling records are open to all and are set by gender, age group and bicycle type, allowing virtually anyone to compete to set a WUCA record. Some records can even be set by teams, including mixed gender!

Like our world records, there are specific rules and requirements that must be satisfied.

Click here to see the current WUCA ultracycling records.
Click here to see the rules and process for attempting a WUCA ultracycling record.

How to Set a Record

Our rules and procedures to attempt and set a world record have been developed and refined over the last two decades. They help assure that anyone, anywhere in the world, can try for, and achieve an amazing accomplishment--a world record as an ultracyclist!

As of 2020, our record books contain dozens of world and WUCA records for ultracycling accomplishments. Records can be set by gender, age group, bicycle type, and type of course (road or track), based on distance or time.

Yes, its hard work to get ready! You have to be at your very best and there is a lot of planning and organization to make it happen. But imagine holding a new world record! 

Any record attempt requires not just an athlete, but a prepared team of crew and officials to support the athlete and assure that all of the rules are satisfied during the attempt.

WUCA has created a team of volunteers who help you learn the rules, answer questions about what is needed, and provide training to any new officials.

Applications, model 'to-do' checklists, verification of equipment (such as functioning bike computers recording mileage)--our record team helps make sure you are ready and that your attempt will not be disqualified over a technicality.

In addition to a fee charged by WUCA to administer record attempts, but you will also need to think about officials, support crew and vehicles, validating the distances of the course (or track) you will be riding, etc.

If you want to set a world record, join WUCA and then review the Rules and Record Forms and Checklists carefully. Figure out what record you want to target and then introduce yourself to the WUCA Records Team (records@ultracycling.com). We will help you get to the starting line--then its up to you to set a new world record!

Process, Forms and Checklists

All the forms and checklists required to start setting a new record are available to WUCA members by logging-in as a member and selecting Record Rules, Forms and Checklists.

World Ultracycling Association

There are some types of endurance cycling that are not within our domain. These are great challenges but WUCA cannot be all things to all endurance cycling

'Randonneuring' -- long, self-supported, organized events--is a great example

Bike Touring -- exploring the world on two wheels, challenging one's endurance in a non-competitive setting

Everesting -- completing the elevation of Mt. Everest in the shortest possible times