827 Km for Dida Jandre: Aydan Papac to Pursue Historic Run Across Croatia

On 24 August 2026, Melbourne-based Australian-Croatian ultra-runner Aydan Papac will stand at the Savudrija Lighthouse, the northern coastal tip of Croatia, where he will begin a journey of endurance very few would even dare to imagine: 827 kilometres on foot, tracing the entire Croatian coastline with one goal in mind — to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest crossing of Croatia on foot.

The record he is chasing stands at 10 days, and to break it, Aydan will need to average more than 80 kilometres every day, pushing through the summer heat, fatigue, pain, sleep deprivation, and the mental isolation that comes with multi-day endurance running. His route will carry him from Savudrija to Pula, Opatija, Senj, Lukovo, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Podaca, and Lovorno, before passing by Dubrovnik and finishing at Ponta Oštro, Croatia’s southern coastal frontier.

This is not simply a run; it is a tribute.

Aydan is running in honour of his late grandfather, his “Dida” Jandre, who passed away from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare and devastating brain disease with no cure. For many diagnosed with CJD, life expectancy is tragically short, often around one year from diagnosis. To Aydan, his “Dida” Jandre was more than a grandfather; he was a second father figure, a pillar of discipline, humility, work ethic, and quiet strength.

Before illness changed everything, Jandre was the kind of man who lived through movement. At 78, he would rise at 4:30 a.m. in the western Melbourne mornings and walk 10 kilometres along the local river track — every day, without fail. That image — a man moving with purpose long before the rest of the country had woken — now follows Aydan across every kilometre of training.

Aydan’s mission is clear: to move for those who can no longer do so.

Born in Australia to the Croatian roots of his father, Smiljan, and mother, Ana, Aydan grew up in a hardworking, blue-collar family environment that shaped the values he now carries into endurance sport. He is 29 years old and based in Melbourne, but this run is a return to something far deeper than geography. Croatia is heritage, bloodline, memory, and the landscape through which he will carry his grandfather’s legacy.

In recent years, Aydan has turned his grief into motion. After losing his grandfather during the COVID-19 pandemic, he found ultra-running and began raising funds and awareness for families affected by CJD. He has already completed multiple ultra-marathons, including a 56-kilometre race and multiple 100-kilometre races. His most recent was the UTA100 in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, regarded as one of the toughest ultra-marathons in the Southern Hemisphere.

Now, he is preparing for something far greater.

The Croatian coast will test him in every possible way. The course spans 827 kilometres and includes approximately 4,370 metres of elevation. His support team will include close family and friends, a videographer, team lead, running coach, and his wife Georgia, ensuring the journey is documented not only as an athletic challenge but as a human story that will capture every moment of grief, resilience, identity, and purpose.

From the first step at Savudrija Lighthouse to the final push into Ponta Oštro, Aydan’s run will become a moving story across Croatia — one that passes through historic towns, coastal roads, fishing villages, cities, mountain edges, and places where the Adriatic becomes both witness and companion.

The journey is also a call to action. Through this run, Aydan aims to raise money for CJD awareness and support, putting focus on a disease many people have never heard of until it takes away someone they love. CJD is rare, but for the families it touches, the impact is overwhelming, fast, and heartbreaking.

Aydan’s story is built on endurance, but the emotional core is love.

It is the story of a grandson carrying his grandfather’s legacy across a country that represents his ancestry. It is the story of a young Australian-Croatian athlete attempting to write his name into endurance history and cement it in time through the record books. It is the story of a family transformed by loss, and a man of resilience choosing to answer that loss with action.

On 24 August, when Aydan begins the first kilometre of his 827-kilometre run, he will not be running alone; he will embark on a journey carried by the memory of his “Dida” Jandre.

Every town. Every road. Every sunrise. Every step.

From August 24, 2026, Croatia, Australia, and the rest of the world will grasp for every breath on this historic journey together with Aydan Marko Papac.

Author: Steve Ravić