Lachlan Morton reaches the Ukrainian border and completes a 1000 km ride.

The EF Education-EasyPost rider's latest long-distance challenge was inspired by a desire to raise awareness of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to raise funds for those displaced by the war.

Morton left Munich, Germany, early Saturday morning and rode 1,063 kilometers through the Czech Republic and Poland to his destination in Koltsova, which borders Krakovec in western Ukraine.

Morton spent two cold nights and ran for a total of 42 hours. As with previous challenges, such as his "Alto Tour de France," Morton was regularly chaperoned by cycling fans who turned out to join him on parts of the route.

"Well, here we are at the border. I want to thank everyone who has supported me on this journey. The crowd that came out today made it a very special day," Morton said.

"For me it means the end of a chosen hardship, but it also symbolizes the hardship that is forced upon so many people on this side of the border. I hope the cycling community can unite and support these people."

By the time he reached the border, Morton's fundraising page had reached $193,334, and donations continued to pour in, topping the $200,000 mark as of this writing. His initial goal of $50,000 has already raised four times more than expected for GlobalGiving's Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund in Ukraine.

Morton was inspired by a recent race with his Ukrainian teammate Mark Padun.

"I'm trying to do what I know how to do and get the cycling community involved and help," Morton said prior to the ride. [My idea is to highlight the fact that war is not a distant problem. Conflicts are all over the world within biking distance. And I want to raise as much money as possible to help those who are displaced."

To learn more about the fundraising and the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, click here. (open in new tab) [21].