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Long-standing 12-hour individual time trial record falls to full-time teacher

The 50-year-old 12-hour women's individual time trial record on open roads set in 1967 by Beryl Burton fell earlier this month

August 22, 2017
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Beryl Burton’s 12-hour individual time trial record set in 1967 stood for 50-years but on Aug. 13 it was bested by Alice Lethbridge. Burton was one of the United Kingdoms’s most prolific record setters. She established the record at 446.19 km which was the outright record above any men’s time for two-years. At the Eastern Counties Cycling Association 12-hour championship in the UK, Lethbridge rode 459.71 km in a 12-hour time trial to break Burton’s record. It was the full-time teachers first ever 12-hour time trial.

Lethbridge rode at an average speed of 38.31 km/hr during her race to better Burton’s long-standing record that was established 50 years ago. Lethbridge racing for Grad2Zero was participating in the Eastern Counties Cycling Association 12-hour championship for the first time. The course consisted of three circuits. She completed two laps of the first circuit, six of the second and just under seven of the final circuit before the time was up. She finished 10th overall in the event. As a full-time teacher, Lethbridge considers herself someone who rides for fun.

After having established the 100 mile competition record at the ECCA 100, people in the group thought Lethbridge should give the 12-hour record a go. In a post on road.cc she explains that she leaned on the advice of other athletes who had completed in long distance and endurance events for her preparation though her final decision to ride only came a week before the event.

Lethbridge knew the pace she needed to keep to have a shot at breaking the record and set herself a schedule but remained unsure whether she could even ride for the 12-hours straight required. She suffered some troubles with her nutrition but managed to keep a strong pace early in the effort.

The race went smooth and with still 20-minutes to go she had bested the 50-year record established by Burton. Andy Wilkinson owns the men’s record having covered 511.72 km  in 2012. Provincial results are available at easterncounties.org.uk.