On July 18, Polish paddlesports athlete Sebastian Szubski completed a solo kayak circumnavigation of Great Britain. He covered the 3,000km route in 37 days, finishing three days faster than Dougal Glashier, the previous record holder from 2023.
Szubski began his journey in Western Scotland on June 12 and initially faced challenging waves, fatigue, and changeable weather conditions that are typical of the British coastline. His route led him around Scotland’s rugged coast, down the coasts of England and Wales, across the Bristol Channel, through the Irish Sea, past both Ireland and Northern Ireland, and ultimately back to Scotland.
For much of the route, Szubski was neck-and-neck with Glashier’s time, paddling an average of 80km to sustain his target of 40 days.
Key moments
“Scotland welcomed me as if it were paradise on Earth. Beautiful, with seals, views, and no waves because I was hidden among the islands. I decided to start higher than I had planned. It turned out I’d chosen the most beautiful spot in all of Great Britain,” Szubski told Red Bull Poland.
However, on day two, this short-lived idyllic start was replaced by rudder issues, a leak, and rough seas that left him unable to control his boat properly. He narrowly avoided crashing into the cliffs at the famous sea stack of the Old Man of Stoer.
Photo: Sebastian Szubski
From the seventh day, Szubski’s journey settled into its routine of paddling, eating, and sleeping. He often spent up to 16 hours a day in his kayak. The timing of his efforts was frequently dictated by tidal currents, sometimes requiring pre-dawn starts in gnarly weather. These early rises became essential for staying on schedule.
By the eighteenth day, he reached the halfway point. Navigating past Dover under the cover of night helped him avoid the world’s busiest shipping traffic, though technical issues left him without lights or radio communication.
A support team followed Szubski the entire way. On land, recovery was the top priority, although each landing also required recording footage for Guinness record documentation, changing into dry clothes, and eating high-calorie meals. He received massages from his support team and slept, at least at times, in a rooftop tent.
Olympic pedigree
When Szubski announced his intention to circumnavigate Britain by Kayak, some in the British paddling community were skeptical. He had reportedly never kayaked at sea, let alone the rugged British coast, which can be technically challenging and dangerous.
In preparation, in July 2024, Szubski and Sebastian Cuattrin paddled a 200km section of the River Thames in England in just under 22 hours. A few months later, that fall, the Pole visited and trained with Mike Lambert, a former British canoe sprinter who completed a 58-day kayak circumnavigation earlier in the year.
Photo: Sebastian Szubski
Although born in Poland, Szubski represented Brazil in the 2004 Summer Olympics in the sprint canoe event and the 500m doubles kayak. He also holds the record for the farthest distance by canoe or kayak on flat water in 24 hours — an impressive 252km.
Fastest known time
Szubski has claimed his circumnavigation as the fastest kayak journey around Great Britain, and a number of news sources have suggested he has broken a Guinness World Record. How Guinness will ratify this record is unclear, as they do not currently appear to have published a comparable record on their website. Also, for some in the adventure community, they are not a credible record-keeping organization.
Szubski GPS tracks. Image: Sebastian Szubski
Dougal Glashier previously held the fastest known time, although his route was reportedly 3,120km — slightly longer than the 3,000km initially reported by Szubski. Both Glashier and Szubski had support crews, but details remain unclear regarding how much they relied on them, whether they camped wild or stayed in accommodations, and how similar their routes were.
In 2012, Joe Leach, the previous record holder, completed the journey in 67 days, a benchmark Glashier surpassed by an impressive 27 days.
