Jonas Deichmann crosses the USA in Duathlon – SWR Sport

After months of toiling alone, Jonas Deichmann faced adversity on the world’s grand stage to crown his daring mission. Germany’s Forrest Gump began his recovery after racing across the United States at the legendary New York Marathon and was celebrated by crowds at the finish line in Central Park nearly four hours later.

“It was such a short day at the office, it was unbelievable. And the end of my big adventure couldn’t have been any better,” Dishman joked.

I cycled 5,500 kilometers to Los Angeles in three weeks

On July 29, he set out from New York by bicycle to implement his unique project, covering a distance of 5,500 kilometers by bicycle to Los Angeles on the West Coast within three weeks. From there it was 100 days of running with ultra marathons over the same distance. And over the weekend, the 36-year-old finally arrived at his destination in the Big Apple and clearly enjoyed the small reception at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

“I could have kept running, but I’m glad I got it done,” Dishman said. It was “a big dream come true. The USA is so huge. The West in particular is incredibly stunning. It’s something very special to run there. When you run, you get a feeling of how big everything is. It’s a wonderful way to get to know a country.” ”

Losing ten kilograms of body weight

The Stuttgart native had actually wanted to run across the United States during his Around the World Triathlon, but had to move to Mexico due to coronavirus restrictions. There, local media dubbed him “the German Forrest Gump.”

“Experience an incredible number of highlights”

In total, he lost ten kilograms of body weight during the duathlon and used nine pairs of running shoes. But the reward for the hard work was countless “magic moments.” Trails in the Rocky Mountains, sunrises and sunsets in the Mojave Desert or Monument Valley: “It’s incredibly stunning. I’ve seen an incredible number of highlights,” Dishman enthused.

You have reached your own limits

Despite the physically demanding sections of the route and temperatures reaching 50 degrees at times, it was the mental aspect that pushed him to his limits. “The biggest challenge was definitely the monotony in the Midwest. In Kansas, for example, there is simply nothing. Every 30 kilometers there is a grain silo and a few houses. That’s it, everything seems the same,” the extreme athlete explained. “For weeks.”

But he manages to distract himself with podcasts and audiobooks. “I never thought about giving up,” he affirmed emphatically. Now it’s time for a vacation, but he’s already planning his next big adventure in May 2024. “This will be the hardest project I’ve done yet,” Dishman says. “It’s a completely new challenge: but it’s still top secret.” He would certainly want to push the boundaries of what is supposedly humanly possible again.