South Floridian's Quest for Guinness Book of World Records

Surprises are the zest of life. And Jon Eggert Gudmundsson is about to provide some zest here in South Florida. Jon is a 50-year old Iceland native living in Cutler Bay who is about to do something extraordinary that will land him in the Guinness Book of World Records.

It’s not enough that Jon has both walked (2006) and cycled (2016) the perimeter of the entire country of his homeland of Iceland. Now, he’s planning to smash the current record by 1000 miles for the world’s longest triathlon (set in 2014 by Norma Bastidas).

Considering his age and body frame, you certainly wouldn’t expect him to start, let alone finish, this challenge. Yet, the moment you speak to Jon, it’s clear his spirit and energy will drive his success. Without any fanfare, Jon started his triathlon quest on February 9, 2018. He expects to finish in August.

Traditionally, a standard triathlon would be done with swimming first (1,500 m [1,650 yd]), then biking (40 km [24.9 mi]) and finally running (10 km [6.2 mi]). Jon’s plan is to run 810 miles first, then do 3800 cycling miles and finish with 120 miles of swimming in the pool at Palmetto Bay’s LA Fitness. His biking and running routes will be the same each day, taking him through Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay. You can look at his route and see the mileage rack up each day at tinyurl.com/triathlonjon.

To document his endurance feat, Jon must prove his mileage to the Guinness Book of World Records with satellite tracking and video. He looks a bit cyborg with a GoPro strapped to his forehead, but his laugh will tell you he’s all human. To that end, Jon has decided his triathlon record should do good for others.

He is dedicating his efforts to Wheel Heroes, a non-profit who assists kids that are unable to ride bikes due to mental or physical disabilities by designing, custom-ordering and delivering bicycles for their needs (www.facebook.com/wheelheroes). “I hope that I can help raise funds and awareness for Wheel Heroes,” says Gudmundsson in a thick Icelandic accent. “That would be really awesome.”

Jon invites people or groups to join him on any day. You can keep up with his progress and ask to run, bike or swim alongside of him at www.facebook.com/jon.e.gudmundsson.