Featured image: Aydan Papac Instagram
Australian-Croatian ultrarunner Aydan Papac is preparing for what he describes as the biggest challenge of his running career: an 827-kilometre run along the Croatian coast in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record.
The challenge is scheduled to begin in August 2026, with Papac aiming to complete the route in just ten days. To achieve that goal, he will need to cover an average of more than 80 kilometres every day.
But the project is about more than endurance.
A Tribute to His Grandfather
Papac says the run is dedicated to the memory of his grandfather, Jandre Bilic, who died in 2020 after battling Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare degenerative brain disease.
Before his diagnosis, Bilic was known in the family as an active and disciplined man. According to Papac, he would start each day before sunrise, walking several kilometres around his Melbourne neighbourhood without fail. Within months of being diagnosed, however, the disease left him bedridden and unable to care for himself.
“Now I am moving for those who no longer can,” Papac writes on his fundraising page.
Who is Aydan Papac?
Aydan Marko Papac is a 29-year-old Australian-Croatian ultrarunner from Melbourne who began competing in endurance events in 2022. Since then, he has completed races ranging from marathon distance to 100-kilometre ultramarathons.
His most recent major event was the Ultra Trail Australia in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, one of the country’s best-known endurance races.
For Papac, Croatia was the natural choice for his most ambitious challenge yet.
“Simply, this is where the roots of my heritage are founded,” he explains. “It only felt fitting to complete this challenge in the country my family is from.”
Running Across Croatia for a Cause
Alongside the record attempt, Papac hopes to raise AUD 50,000 for the CJD Support Group Network of Australia, an organisation that provides support and information to families affected by the disease.
The run will cover 827 kilometres along the Croatian coast and combine a personal tribute, a fundraising campaign and a Guinness World Record attempt into a single challenge.
If successful, Papac will have to average more than 80 kilometres per day for ten consecutive days, making it one of the most demanding endurance challenges ever attempted on Croatian soil.
Those interested in supporting the project can find more information on his GoFundMe campaign.
