Aydan Marko Papac completes 827km ultramarathon along Croatian coast

Aydan Marko Papac, an Australian ultramarathoner of Croatian descent, has completed an 827-kilometer run along the entire Croatian coast. Starting from the Savudrija lighthouse on August 24, Papac traveled to Punta Oštro on the Prevlaka peninsula, finishing the journey in less than ten days.

The feat was an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest crossing of Croatia by running, which previously stood at ten days. To achieve this, Papac maintained a pace of over 80 kilometers per day. During the final stages of the run near Dubrovnik, local triathletes and runners joined him for various segments of the route to provide support.

Beyond the athletic challenge, the run served a humanitarian purpose. Papac dedicated the mission to raising awareness for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a rare neurodegenerative condition that affected his grandfather. The project was supported by organizations such as the Central State Office for Croats Living Abroad and the Croatian Emigrants Institute.