Arusha. British adventurer John Rees-Evans has completed what is believed to be the fastest human-powered circumnavigation of Mount Kilimanjaro, marking another milestone in his campaign to position Tanzania as a premier destination for adventure racing.
The 48-year-old founder of Team Kilimanjaro completed the 232.06-kilometre circuit around Africa's highest peak in 15 hours, 50 minutes and four seconds on Friday, July 17, 2026. The journey started and finished at Mabungo, approximately 777 metres above sea level.
The achievement comes just 10 days after Rees-Evans set another endurance record by travelling 117.28 kilometres from Mabungo to Uhuru Peak and back in 23 hours, 58 minutes and one second, becoming the first person to complete the base-to-summit return journey in under 24 hours.
His latest feat followed the mountain's perimeter road in an anti-clockwise direction. Throughout the expedition, he was supported by a two-person Land Rover crew, who provided food, water and safety assistance at designated points along the route.
Speaking after completing the challenge, Rees-Evans said Mount Kilimanjaro offers far greater opportunities for adventure tourism than many people appreciate.
"Kilimanjaro is more accessible than most people realise. A cyclist with a moderate level of fitness could complete this circuit over two or three days as a fully supported tour. Combined with the ascent to Uhuru Peak, it provides an exceptional platform for world-class adventure racing," he said.
Rees-Evans is now proposing that the two endurance challenges—the mountain's perimeter circuit and the base-to-summit return route—be combined into a single continuous ultra-endurance race, which he believes could become one of the world's most prestigious endurance competitions.
"I believe the world's greatest ultra-endurance athletes will one day complete both challenges continuously in less than 24 hours," he said.
He also called on Tanzania's Ministry responsible for sports to support the initiative, saying it has the potential to establish a globally recognised sporting event while significantly boosting tourism.
"I would welcome cooperation from Tanzania's Ministry of Sports to help make this a national event—one capable of attracting thousands of international visitors who might otherwise never travel to Tanzania," he said.
Rees-Evans founded Team Kilimanjaro in 2004. Based in Arusha, the company has organised commercial expeditions on Mount Kilimanjaro for more than two decades and continues to promote the mountain as one of the world's leading destinations for high-altitude adventure and endurance sports.
