Over 100 cyclists from 16 nations tackle the demanding slopes of
the Sicilian volcano.
Burke spent 7h30m and Gardner 8h28m completing 7 climbs and 277
kms to accumulate 8,848 metres of elevation in the Everesting
challenge.
The inaugural Everesting World Championship took place on Saturday on the
legendary volcanic slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, bringing together more than
100 cyclists from 16 nations for one of the most demanding endurance challenges
in sport.
In the marquee event, the Full Everesting, requiring riders to accumulate 8,848
meters of climb, the equivalent height of Mount Everest, by completing seven
ascents from the town of Linguaglossa and covering a total distance of 277
kilometers, Canadian rider Jack Burke made history as the first-ever men’s world
champion, completing the feat in 7 hours and 30 minutes.
On the women’s side, Britain’s Illi Gardner, the current Everesting world record
holder, confirmed her status as a leading figure in the discipline by claiming the
title of the first women’s world champion, with a time of 08h28m40s.
This groundbreaking event marks a new chapter for the Everesting movement,
which has grown from a grassroots endurance challenge into a global
phenomenon embraced by thousands of athletes around the world.
With his historic world title, 30-year-old Burke adds a new milestone to his long
journey of personal perseverance. After achieving his dream of becoming a
professional cyclist, a series of setbacks —first a doping case from which he was
later cleared, and then a serious accident after being hit by a car— before
successfully devoting himself to ultra-endurance racing.
The toughness of the World Championship challenge was evident, with only 16
participants managing to complete the Full Everesting of 8,848 meters on Mount
Etna, while others opted for officially recognized shorter formats such as the Half
or Quarter Everesting.
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“It’s an amazing feeling after so many hours on the bike. I really enjoyed it,
especially the camaraderie with the other riders as we crossed each other while
going up and down Mount Etna,” said Burke after his victory.
Among the participants in this first-ever World Championship special mention
goes to Bulgarian Victor Asenov, a blind athlete who competed on a tandem bike
with his guide; Germany’s Leonard Borgmann, at just 22 years old the youngest
rider to take on a challenge generally reserved for more seasoned endurance
athletes; and Britain’s Karen McDonald together with Spain’s Gemma Rosell, both
Everesting icons whose determination makes them inspirational role models of
resilience for women and embodies the spirit of this extreme endurance
challenge.