Toronto’s Jack Burke made history Saturday, becoming the first men’s world champion at the inaugural event in Sicily

Although it’s not officially sanctioned as a championship by the UCI, the Full Everesting event is brutal. Riders climb 8,848 m—the height of Mount Everest—by tackling seven ascents from the town of Linguaglossa. They covered 277 km in total. Burke finished in 7 hours and 30 minutes.

Britain’s Illi Gardner, the current Everesting world record holder, claimed the first women’s world title, crossing the line in 8 hours, 28 minutes, 40 seconds.

Burke’s career has been a roller coaster, to say the least. As a junior, he faced a doping allegation after winning Stage 3 of the Tour de l’Abitibi. He was later cleared of that and turned pro. He had some big results—including winning the infamous Mont Mégantic stage of the Tour de Beauce.

Jack Burke is still innocent, but…

However, his career was derailed after being hit by a driver. He has since focused on ultra-endurance racing, and Saturday’s result adds a major milestone to that journey. Burke currently resides in Austria and made headlines in late 2024 when he took several Strava KOMs from seasoned pros on famous climbs.

He dethroned Tour de France and Giro d’Italia champion Vincenzo Nibali on Italy’s Mortirolo, beating the Italian’s record by a full minute. He followed that up on Alpe d’Huez, claiming the KOM from 2023 Vuelta a España winner Sepp Kuss on Nov. 11. In late 2024, he said he had been in touch with WorldTour teams, but nothing seems to have materialized, unfortunately.

Now Jack Burke has taken the Alpe d’Huez KOM from Sepp Kuss

Previously, he rode for several Continental teams, including Leopard Pro Cycling, Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis, Aevolo, and H&R Block Pro Cycling.

The challenge was punishing. Only 16 riders finished the Full Everesting, while others chose the shorter Half or Quarter formats.

“It’s an amazing feeling after so many hours on the bike,” Burke said. “I loved the climbs, the descents, and the camaraderie passing riders along the way.”