ULTRA-endurance athlete Sam Boatwright achieved his latest goal in Skipton on Saturday - by smashing a world cycling record.

The maths teacher, of Silsden, cycled 488 miles in 24 hours - a full 18 miles further than the previous record of 470 miles, at Sandylands Sport Centre.

He was performing the feat on a static bike to raise cash for the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association charity - and as part of his training for his testing ‘epic triathlon’ bid which will take place in July.

Sam was dubbed the ‘epic runner’ in 2012 when he ran 50 miles every day for 50 days. And in 2017 he crossed America in 32 days, consecutively cycling 150 miles one day and running 50 the next, covering 3,000 miles, and raising £30,000 for the ‘Help for Heroes’ charity.

For this year’s epic triathlon Sam will attempt to swim 21 miles across the English Channel in less than six hours, 57 minutes and 50 seconds.

He’ll then get on his bike and cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats, a distance of 854 miles along his chosen route which he will try to finish in under 43 hours, 25 minutes and 13 seconds, before setting off to run back to Land’s End along the same route and with the aim of finishing in under 218 hours and 26 minutes - a total of nine days, two hours and 26 minutes - the first time that an attempt has been made to set world records in each discipline back-to-back.

He was helped on his way at Sandylands by a team of eight riders from Skipton company Rural Solutions, who were in the saddle alongside him in one-hour shifts.

The company is sponsoring Sam’s monumental July triathlon challenge.

Managing director William Fry, who was one of the riders who put in several one-hour shifts with Sam on Saturday, said: “Rural Solutions are truly honoured to be sponsoring such an inspiring individual as he puts himself through an intense challenge for the sake of not only challenging himself, but also to challenge the wider community to get involved and make a difference.

“We will be following his exploits in the run-up to and during the triathlon in July and helping him to achieve his fundraising goals.”

On Facebook Sam wrote: “That was a brutal day on the bike..It was great to get a message from (trans-global cyclist) Mark Beaumont saying well done, right at a time when I wanted to kick again and push right through the record. Thank you to everyone that came and supported me.”