With no outside support allowed, it’s up to the racers to balance nutrition, mental focus, mechanicals, and time management through the area’s sparsely populated rural landscape. We got the scoop on Lachlan's plans for Unbound and the rest of his event calendar for 2025, his reputation for relentlessly tinkering with his setup, and what he's learned from his biggest rides.
Lachlan Morton hardly needs an introduction these days. His unconventional approach to professional cycling transcends the typical confines of the sport and it’s constantly evolving. Just last October, Morton spent a month (30 days, nine hours and 59 minutes to be exact) on a record-setting lap around the circumference of his home country Australia to raise over $100k (AUS) for charity. And this was on the heels of completing the seven-event Lifetime Grand Prix race series, where he won Unbound 200.
Rather than following a traditional race schedule, Morton keeps things interesting for himself and his fans with what he calls an “alternative calendar” that includes everything from gravel to MTB wrapped up in epic record-breaking endurance attempts and self-created philanthropic endeavors. For 2025, he outlined a plan with an international focus that emphasizes variety where “it’s as much about being around the experience of the race as it is about competing” as stated in a recent press release.
While Morton’s Far Beyond program lays out the cyclist’s continent-bouncing agenda, with 15 races around the world – from Colombia to Bhutan, Kenya to Sweden – there is apparently still room for surprises.
I got the scoop a few days ahead of today’s Unbound XL announcement and managed to catch up with Lachlan for an hour-long special edition podcast episode where we discuss his recent change in plans. We also chat about bike and gear setups, future record-setting attempts (including one he will not be taking on any time soon), and even some philosophical musings about keeping the stoke alive.
Many of the questions I asked were provided by our members. We greatly appreciate how engaged our members and readers are in the work we do, and think of interviews like this as a way to give back. So, if you offered up a question on the Escape Collective Discord server, listen closely for it!
Our members enable us to do everything here at Escape, including these special projects with athletes that make cycling such a dynamic sport. Accordingly, the podcast conversation with Lachlan, and transcript below, are available only for members. If you are not yet signed up, please consider doing so. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
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