Lachlan Morton has completed a 3,217km bicycle journey along the historic Pony Express route from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California.
His time, 6 days, 21 hours, 15 minutes, beat the fastest recorded horseback mail relay from 1861 by 19 hours and 45 minutes.
Pony Express Trail. Photos: Top, Lachlan Morton/Instagram. Bottom: Shutterstock
Morton crossed eight states, negotiating remote desert tracks, the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada. He encountered freezing conditions, fierce headwinds, and sections of barely discernible trail where he had to push his bicycle.
Unlike the original Pony Express, which changed riders and horses, Morton cycled the entire distance himself. However, he used different bicycles and had a support vehicle carrying supplies.
Morton is an Australian professional cyclist whose career spans elite road racing, gravel competition, and ultra-endurance adventure cycling. Rather than focusing solely on traditional racing, he has become widely recognized for long-distance challenges.
Photo: Lachlan Morton/Instagram
