Pan-American Record Ride: 23,000km from Alaska to Argentina

Hello and thank you for visiting my GoFundMe page!

My name is Ashleigh Myles and I’m an endurance cyclist and race organizer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I’ll be riding the Pan-American Highway starting August 20, 2025. My goal is to set the world record for the fastest female to cycle the route, solo and self-supported, from Alaska to Argentina—one of the longest point-to-point routes in the world.

I started exploring long-distance bicycle rides in 2016, began working in a bicycle shop in 2019, and organized my first bicycle race in 2021. The flagship bicycle race I organize is the Tip 2 Tip Nova Scotia (T2T), a 1000-1200 km adventure race from one end of Nova Scotia to the other.

In September 2023, I rode the T2T (Individual Time Trial distance: 750 km). During the ride, an idea struck: what about a longer T2T? The Pan-American Highway seemed like the logical conclusion - it looks like the T2T on a map (point-to-point route), it’s about 30x longer than Nova Scotia, and I could set the Guinness World Recordfor the Fastest Female Cycle of the PanAmerican Highway.

Since this will be a self-supported ride, I’ll be following the guidelines set by the World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA)*, which align with the rules of most self-supported races. My goal is to complete the ride in 95 days, from August 20 to November 25, 2025.

What is self-supported?

No support car. A rider must be fully self-sufficient and not receive any private assistance. All food, lodging, etc. must be commercially available.

I’ll be spending most nights in a bivy, and any detours, repairs, or additional planning will be handled on the road as I go.

About the Pan-American Route

Also known as the ‘ice-to-ice’ route, it begins in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and ends in Ushuaia, Argentina. It’s approximately 23,000km long, with 183,000m elevation. It spans two continents and 14 countries (Canada, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina).

There are many highways that cross each country, and an obvious fast route through each. While my goal is to ride the route as fast as possible, my route planning will involve finding a somewhat better alternative/parallel roads to the highways in an effort to make this route more approachable and safe for those who’d like to ride the whole thing, or parts of it in the future. Curating a route is one of my favourite parts of any long distance ride because you can incorporate smaller roads and explore areas only possible if going by bike.

Documentation

Storytelling is an important part of adventure. It’s the stories of other women doing out-of-their-comfort-zone things that has inevitably led to this route being in the forefront of my mind for the better part of two years. I want to contribute to this story and help fuel the excitement for women continuing to excel in sports.

During the ride, I’ll be keeping an active social media presence, posting stories daily and posts once per week. I’ll be self-filming and recording audio as opposed to writing too much, since writing is much harder to do while simultaneously riding a bike!

Expenses and Sponsorship

These types of expeditions can be quite expensive, so I’ve created a GoFundMe page for anyone who would like to support this journey. The estimated total cost is around $25,000. While I’m actively seeking sponsors to help cover the remaining expenses, I may adjust the goal on the GoFundMe page in the coming months, depending on sponsorships and grants I secure.

If you know any businesses, individuals, or if you yourself are interested in supporting or partnering with me, please feel free to reach out! For full transparency, I’ve provided a detailed breakdown of the expenses below.

Transportation: Flights

-Halifax to Prudhoe Bay

-Panama City, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia

-Ushuaia to Halifax

$4000

Food

(95 days @ $60/day) $5,700

Accomodation

Indoor lodging (50 nights @ $150/night) $7,500

Travel Insurance

(August 17 - December 5) $708

Bike parts and repair during trip

Consumables (tires, brake pads, chains, cassettes) $6,650

Other wear parts (crank, bearings) $1,000

Equipment

SPOT Tracker fee: $88

GoPro: $350

Total Estimate: $25,996

Anticipated Outcomes

-Record for Fastest Female to Cycle the Pan-American Highway (self-supported).

-Segments of the Pan-American route available to the public (alternative road(s) in lieu of highway).

-Documentation (audio, video, photos, writing) for storytelling.

I recognize being able to plan and attempt this ride is a privilege given to few. Any support is greatly appreciated. I value transparency and will aim to update this platform with training progress before the ride, and frequent updates during the ride.

Thank you,

Ashleigh

*Guinness World Records (GRW) relies on the sports regulatory body, WUCA, to confirm the record and report it to GWR.