Sam
Sunderland
United Kingdom
·
Rally Raid
Date of birth | 15 April 1989 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Southampton |
Age | 37 |
Nationality | United Kingdom |
Career start | 2012 |
Discipline | Rally Raid Bike |
Sam Sunderland is a two-time Dakar Rally winner and one of the world's leading rally-raid motorcycle riders. Now, the British rider is taking on a challenge unlike anything he has attempted before – trying to become the fastest person to circumnavigate the globe on a motorcycle.
Round the World in 19 Days
On September 5, 2026, Sunderland will set off from London on a 19-day attempt to ride around the world, covering at least 18,000 miles across multiple continents and time zones. He will ride a Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer, with the clock running while he tackles thousands of miles of public roads, border crossings, changing conditions and extreme fatigue.
The attempt was originally planned for 2025 but was postponed after Sunderland suffered a serious back injury in training.
The target is the 19 days, eight hours and 25 minutes set by Kevin and Julia Sanders in 2002. The benchmark is no longer officially recognised by Guinness World Records, but Sunderland is attempting to establish a new standard for the fastest motorcycle circumnavigation.
A Dakar champion, world rally-raid champion and experienced endurance rider, Sunderland now faces a very different kind of race – one against the clock, the elements and his own physical and mental limits.
Early career
Sunderland made his international breakthrough in 2011, winning stages at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Australasian Safari. Just a year later, he made his Dakar Rally debut at 22. Mechanical issues cut it short, but the Brit had made a mark, just three minutes off the leaders when he retired.
Over the next few seasons, Sunderland racked up podiums in world rally events, from Morocco to Sardinia, and joined the KTM factory team. But success came with setbacks: broken bones, mechanical failures, and several heart-breaking withdrawals from Dakar, including a crash in 2016 that left him with a fractured femur.
Doing the Dakar double
The breakthrough came in 2017, when Sunderland finally finished the Dakar Rally – and won it. He made history as the first Briton ever to claim the title. "It's overwhelming," he said after sealing victory. "Hopefully we can create some English interest now!"
Injuries returned in 2018, forcing another early exit, but Sunderland bounced back again in 2019 with a podium finish. In 2022, he switched to GasGas Factory Racing and won his second Dakar title, making him the only British rider to win the event on two continents. That same year, he also clinched the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship.
Off the bike, he’s no stranger to headline moments either. In 2022, he climbed to the top of Dubai’s 828m Burj Khalifa for a jaw-dropping stunt in the film Yalla, becoming one of the few people ever to stand at the tower’s highest point.
Sam Sunderland needs to cover an average of 1,690km every day
© Mark Roe/Red Bull Content Pool
Sam Sunderland loves a challenge
© Attila Szabo/Red Bull Content Pool
The Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer must be with Sunderland all the way
© Mark Roe/Red Bull Content Pool
Sam Sunderland took a second Dakar title in 2022
© Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool