Aydan Papac completes 827km Croatian coastal trek

Aydan Marko Papac, an Australian-Croatian ultramarathoner from Melbourne, has completed a grueling 827-kilometer trek along the Croatian coast. Starting from the Savudrija lighthouse and ending at Punta Oštro on the Prevlaka peninsula, Papac covered the distance in 10 days, 3 hours, and 55 minutes.

The challenge was driven by two primary goals: attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest crossing of Croatia on foot and raising awareness and funds for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The mission was personally motivated by the loss of his grandfather, Jandra Bilić, to the rare prion disease.

The journey was physically extreme, requiring Papac to cover over 80 kilometers daily. During the trek, he faced severe dehydration and sodium loss, necessitating medical intervention near Zadar. Despite experiencing exhaustion and heat-related health concerns that required hospitalization, he completed the route, falling just under four hours short of the Guinness World Record time.