Breaking A World Record In Singapore!

When we heard that a Singapore-based man was aiming to break the record for completing the longest ever triathlon, we had to find out more. We caught up with Adrian Bennett between runs to see how his attempt was progressing.

- Dee Khanduja

Adrian, tell us about this amazing challenge you’ve taken on.

I’m attempting the world record for the longest triathlon. The current record stands at 6,952km; I’m going for 7,500km. I have to start with 1,420km of continuous running, followed by 5,800km of cycling continuously and ending with 225km of swimming continuously.

Wow, not exactly a walk in the park then! What inspired you to take the challenge on?

I like to discover our human limits, and I want to answer one simple question: “How far can I push myself?”

I’m inspired by athletes like Ross Edgley who swam around England, Matthew Webb who was the first man to swim the English Channel, and even my uncle Adrian Crane who climbed the highest peak in America in every state in 101 days.

I have two sons, and being a role model to them is of course high on my priority list. I really want to show people how outdoor pursuits can enrich lives. I truly believe as humans we have an in-built need to push boundaries and explore limits.

Walk us through how you trained for this challenge?

This isn’t a simple question, but I’ll give you a brief history. I’m an adventurer who has climbed several massive mountains worldwide. I have always thrived on long miles, no sleep, very little food and so on. When I had to juggle family and career, I kerbed my adventures to marathons and triathlons.

Then I completed a 100km race in the deserts of Egypt in 10 hours – that’s at a pace of six minutes per kilometre. Next, I trained and completed an Ironman, which was fun, though it never really pushed me as I expected.

Do you think most people can take on such massive physical challenges?