Built for Endurance
Rakibul Islam started with nothing more than a pair of running shoes and a stubborn will. Born in Rangpur, a city where running or cycling is hardly recognized as a sport, he turned the streets into his training ground. His body seemed built for endurance. Early fitness tests revealed astonishing numbers: a VO₂ max of 76 mL/kg/min for cycling and 69 for running. Those figures place him among the fittest athletes in South Asia. But numbers alone don’t create champions. Determination does.
Rakibul graduated from Jahangirnagar University’s Department of Pharmacy before pursuing postgraduate studies in Biotechnology at South Asian University. He earned the SAARC Silver Jubilee Scholarship and went on to co-author four peer-reviewed research papers in Molecular Medicine. His work appeared in respected Elsevier journals. For him, science was more than a career path–it shaped his perspective on health, performance, and the science of endurance.
Rakibul’s path began in running but soon shifted to cycling. The transition worked. He joined the Bangladesh National Cycling Team and TeamBDC, a Guinness World Record-holding club. Over time, he expanded into duathlons, proving his strength in both running and cycling. And when he became the first Bangladeshi UCI Level 1 certified cycling coach, he sealed his role as both competitor and mentor.
Victories soon followed. In 2020, Rakibul won the 7.5 km category at the Glaxose-D Dhaka Half Marathon. The same year, he became champion of the Bangabandhu Tour De CHT Mountain Biking Challenge and a gold medalist in the Bangabandhu 9th Bangladesh Games. Two years later, he became the National Champion at the Bangladesh National Cycling Championship.
Picture: Rakibul Islam.
A World Record Ride
December 2021 brought something even bigger. Rakibul joined three teammates–Drabir Alam, Tanvir Ahmed, and Mohammad Alauddin for a Guinness World Record attempt: completing the greatest distance cycled in 48 hours by a relay team. They began at Zainul Abedin Square in Purbachal, Dhaka, on the evening of December 8. For two straight days, they circled the track 1,003 times, covering 1,670.334 km. Exactly 48 hours later, they finished. Exhausted but victorious.
When asked about the record, Rakibul credited the community of helpers: “We four just did the cycling here. More than 150 volunteers who were with us made the record possible altogether.”
Picture: Rakibul Islam.
Triumph Beyond Borders
In 2022, Rakibul’s focus shifted back to duathlons. At the Powerman Duathlon Asia Championship in Malaysia, he ranked 2nd out of 2,200 participants. The race combined 30 km of cycling and 5 km of running. Rakibul dominated the 30-34 age group and secured second place overall. “When other sports suffer, we proudly suffer to raise our flag high,” he commented.
In 2023, Rakibul took on one of the toughest duathlons in the world–the Powerman World Championship in Zofingen, Switzerland. The race featured a brutal 10 km run, a 150 km cycle, and another 30 km run through hilly terrain. Where most athletes dream of simply finishing, Rakibul not only finished but secured a world ranking of 5th in his age group.
He was the first Bangladeshi ever to qualify for the event–and the only invitee from South Asia. “This is the first time someone from Bangladesh will be participating,” he said before the race. “My competitors are the best of the best.” That statement alone showed how far he had come–from the streets of Rangpur to racing alongside the world’s elite.
The momentum carried on. In 2024, Rakibul became a Gold Medalist at the MTB Northeast Challenge in Arunachal, India. By 2025, he was again crowned National Champion in the Bangladesh National Cycling Championship. He continued to push his limits and inspire others along the way.
Picture: Rakibul Islam.
For young riders, he’s not just a national champion–he’s a role model. Rakibul is approachable, humble, and generous with his advice. To competitors, he is laser-focused, unshaken, and relentless. Balance defines him. Discipline drives his training, but encouragement shapes his relationships. He knows when to push and when to inspire.
Rakibul Islam’s story is more than a string of victories. It’s a blueprint for what’s possible when passion meets persistence. From humble beginnings in Rangpur to competing on world stages in Malaysia, Switzerland, and India, he has shown that Bangladeshi endurance athletes can aim high–and win.
