Turkish Cypriot Guinness Record Holder
If you live in Northern Cyprus, you can proudly boast about having a fellow Guinness World Record holder! Meet Erden Eruç.
Who is Erden Eruç?
In brief, Erden Eruç is the first person in the world to complete a circumnavigation using only human power.
Erden Eruç was born in Nicosia on July 14, 1961. He later lived in Turkey, where he developed a passion for outdoor adventures and thrilling activities. At the age of 11, his father took him on a climb up a 3,916-meter mountain. This experience sparked Eruç's love for climbing, which he combined with other activities such as kayaking and cycling.
Erden Eruç's Records
The Guinness Book of World Records officially recognized Eruç's journey as the “First Solo Human-Powered Circumnavigation of the Earth.” The journey took 5 years, 11 days, 12 hours, and 22 minutes, starting on July 10, 2007, and ending on July 21, 2012.
Eruç used a rowing boat to cross oceans, a sea kayak for coastal lines, a bicycle for roads, and a canoe for several river crossings. The route covered 66,299 kilometers, crossing the equator twice and all lines of longitude, and passing through twelve pairs of antipodal points, meeting all the criteria for a true circumnavigation.
Achievements of Erden Eruç Recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records
- First solo human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth
- Fastest human-powered circumnavigation: 5 years, 11 days, 12 hours, and 22 minutes
- First person to row across all three major oceans: Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic
- Longest distance rowed solo on the ocean: 23,473 nautical miles
- Longest solo ocean rowing journey: 312 days, 2 hours across the Pacific Ocean from Bodega Bay, California, to Papua New Guinea
- Most days spent at sea by a solo man: 844 days
Where to Follow the Record Holder
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Author
Born and raised in Yekaterinburg, visited more than 40 countries, lived in the USA for some time, and in 2022, moved to Northern Cyprus. Education: Ural State University (now Ural Federal University), Faculty of Political Science and Sociology. Professional Experience: Since 2008, worked in the…
