In 1939, a vegetarian delivery boy from Britain, Tommy Godwin, set the record for the most miles cycled in a calendar year. Aboard a three-speed Raleigh bicycle, Godwin rode 75,065-miles—an average of 205 miles per day, and a cumulative distance equal to three times the circumference of the earth.

Kurt Searvogel
Ian Dille
Kurt if comforted after another long day on the bike.

The annual mileage challenge was first put forth and monitored by the British magazine Cycling in 1911. Contestants sent in detailed daily mileage logs, verified by witness signatures—and into the 1930s the record inched ever upward. However, in the 75 years following Godwin’s lofty mark, no one dared attempt to ride that much. That is, until 2015, when at the request of a handful of cyclists who’d become obsessed with Godwin’s record, the Ultra-Marathon Cycling Association agreed to formally authenticate any new record attempts.

Kurt Searvogel's Garmin 500
Ian Dille
Kurt Searvogel's Garmin 500

Enter Kurt Searvogel, 52, a software developer and accomplished ultra cyclist from Sheridan, Arkansas, who set out on his own record attempt on January 10 of 2015. Over the past year, Searvogel, who also goes by the nickname Tarzan, has matched Godwin’s daily totals mile-for-mile, and currently sits at the cusp of setting the highest annual mileage record (or, HAM’R).

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Kurt Searvogel eats
Ian Dille
Kurt Searvogel during one of many refueling stops.

Over the past 10 months, Searvogel has ridden an average of 12-plus hours per day. He’s followed the sun, and the prevailing winds, across Florida, through Arkansas, into Wisconsin and back. He has ridden through torrential storms, energy-sapping illness, and saddle sores that grew to the size of small fruit. His nether regions, he says, have gradually “turned to leather.” He has famously fueled himself with translucent bags of double cheeseburgers, fiery-hot potato chips, and Pina Colada-flavored energy drinks by the caseload. A chilled Yuengling lager (or three) greets him at the long end of every day.

HAMR
Ian Dille
Highest Annual Mileage Record

In these past six-weeks of riding, Searvogel has spent the majority of his time riding a densely forested 6-mile loop around Flatwoods Park in the suburban outskirts of Tampa, Florida. His wife and primary support person, Alicia Searvogel, has dictated Kurt remain at Flatwoods to ease the logistics of keeping him fueled and rested—and more importantly, she says, to keep him safe. But the stationary setting has provided an added bonus, as well. A rotating peloton of cyclists have traveled from across the state and around the country to ride with Searvogel, and help pace him. On Monday, if all goes according to plan, Kurt "Tarzan" Searvogel will accomplish his goal of matching, and then surpassing, Godwin’s number.

Kurt Searvogel's riding companions
Ian Dille
Kurt Searvogel's riding companions.

Searvogel began riding on the morning of Monday, January 4th with 141 miles remaining to reach 75,065 miles. If all goes according to plan (which, he says, it rarely does) he predicts he’ll accomplish his goal of matching, and then surpassing, Godwin’s number between two and four pm. A banner will great him at the finish. His friends and supporters will gather at a nearby bar. He will achieve a certain amount of cycling immortality. But first, he must cross the finish line. Stay tuned to @BicyclingMag on Twitter and Bicycling.com for live updates and a full re-cap from Searvogel’s historic day.

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Ian Dille

Ian Dille is a freelance writer and producer based in Austin, Texas. He tells stories about bikes, and other things, too.