Hannah Otto wants to become the fastest woman to scale Mount Kilimanjaro in a day

Hannah Otto is aiming to become the fastest woman to scale Mount Kilimanjaro in a single day.

At 5,895 metres, the Tanzanian volcano is the world’s tallest freestanding mountain – if Otto is successful, she will be the first known woman to scale it by bike in under 24 hours.

The attempt will be made in October, after a year-long fundraising campaign for World Bicycle Relief, a charity distributing bicycles to rural communities globally.

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"Attempting to summit Kilimanjaro in one day is about expanding what's possible; not just on the mountain, but in life," Otto said in a press-release. "That's why fundraising for World Bicycle Relief fits so perfectly, because for some people, the bike isn't just a challenge, it's a life-changing opportunity."

Otto has a proven track record in achieving Fastest Known Times (FKTs). In October last year, Otto became the fastest woman to scale the world’s longest climb in Hawaii, in a time of 5 hours, 43 minutes, and 50 seconds. In August 2025, she bagged the women’s FKT on Utah’s White Rim, a year before that, and a year before that, she did the same on the 137-mile Kokopelli Trail. The 30-year-old is also one of three riders to have finished in the top-10 in all four years of the Life Time Grand Prix.

Otto and her team have allowed themselves a 10-day window in which to make the Kilimanjaro attempt. Along the way, they are aiming to raise $165,000 for World Bicycle Relief. If their goal is hit, the charity will be able to buy 1,000 bikes to distribute among rural communities globally. In 2025 alone, the charity has estimated that access to bicycles have caused a 28% decrease in student absenteeism, a 63% increase in visits by health workers to homes and a 36% increase to household income.

“The bike has given me so much, from building a career to friendships I cherish, to meeting my husband,” Otto said in a YouTube video. “It’s given me the opportunity in ways I never could have imagined. Through World Bicycle Relief, I’ve seen how a bike can transform lives in different and even more powerful ways by creating access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.

“My goal is to help extend that impact, because while the bike may look different in each of our lives, ultimately it has the power to connect us all.”

You can donate to the campaign by clicking here.