A father and son from Norfolk have set three Guinness World Records after completing a round-the-world charity bike ride. George Kohler, 57, and his son Joshua, 23, cycled more than 30,000km (18,641 miles) through 31 countries across four continents, raising funds for Unicef.
The pair were cheered across the finish line in Halvergate, near Norwich, by hundreds of supporters waving Union flags. They were presented with certificates for the fastest father and son to circumnavigate the world on bicycles, the furthest distance cycled by a father and son, and the most countries cycled through by a father and son.
George Kohler, a former British military serviceman who now runs a chimney sweeping business, said: “I haven’t got enough arms” as he received two of the accolades. Over their 400-day journey, the duo climbed a total of 180,000 metres – the equivalent of 20 Mount Everests – and burned an average of 4,000 calories daily.
They rode through deserts, jungles and mountain passes, facing temperatures from 47C to minus 3C. The route took them through Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. Joshua, a content creator and filmmaker, said: “I’ve just cycled around the world with my dad, and now we hold three world records.”
The father and son began cycling together in 2021, completing the Land’s End to John O’ Groats route that year and cycling across the US in 2022. They have raised more than £50,000 for Unicef so far.
