Lachlan Morton (EF Pro Cycling) set a new record of 11 hours 14 minutes on Saturday on the 140-km Kokopelli Trail from Moab, Utah to Loma, Colorado. The Australian, who set out early before sunrise to beat the heat, broke the previous record of 11 hours and 52 minutes set by Kurt Refsnider. Morton overcame technical obstacles and bike breakdowns along the way, and had to run without helmet lights.

"It was fantastic! We rode the first two climbs in the dark and I think I charged my front light wrong. Even though it didn't work, it worked for about 30 minutes and then the battery ran out," Morton said in a press release issued by the team after the run.

Morton had procured his own supplies for the adventure and also brought purified water from the river that runs along the trail.

"So the first three hours were pretty dark, and we took it easy on the downhills and went all out on the uphills. 'It rained a little at the top of the La Sal Mountains and it got a little muddy. I was happy when the sun came out. It felt like we had just started, but it had already been three or four hours."

"We got to the first water stop on the Dewey Bridge and stopped there for water. I got there faster than I thought I would. But after about five kilometers, my rear wheel broke. It took about 10 minutes. I got a tube in, pumped it right up and did the best I could

"It was one of those days where everything seemed to be going well. My body felt good, my mind was good, I didn't fight myself too hard, I just enjoyed it.

Morton did not initially set out with the intention of breaking the record, but with the relatively smooth ride and the obvious adventure and long distance experience, he found himself in a better position as the ride progressed. For the final four hours, he kept pushing to break the record, but rather than the time itself, the experience was just as rewarding, if not more so. It's cool," he said! I have a lot of respect for everything he's done in the ultra race, and everything he's done outside of the race for the backpacking routes and the cycling community. Having a smooth day there was huge. I'm certainly happy to get the record, but I'm just happy to have had a good day on that trail."