As the years go by, some individuals keep collecting remarkable achievements, as if it were easy. After climbing one million vertical meters in 2022 and setting the FKT of the Munda Biddi Trail in 2023, last year, Jack Thompson set his eyes on crossing Japan from the south of the country to the northernmost point. The total distance of the challenge was 2,536 km, and the time to beat was 5 days, 15 hours, and 30 minutes.
It was early October, one of the best periods of the year weather-wise. Summer was over and the temperatures in the north, which are usually much colder, should be bearable. That is the theory, but the reality is that the forecast was not promising. “As a winter sports lover, this is heaven, but as a cyclist traveling north, this can be hell”, mentioned Jack before deciding not to look at it anymore. He has visited Japan several times; as a youngster for winter sports, but in recent years the reason was the bike. In early 2023, he became the fastest ever to ride from Osaka to Tokyo, and now he was ready to accomplish something even bigger, an end-to-end crossing.
After a couple of shake-out rides post landing, he started his attempt on October 4th at 2.42 AM. The first stretch was rainy but not cold. He unsuccessfully tried to minimize the traffic that characterizes the country, and for the following days, he struggled to deal with all the stops due to the traffic lights.
It was a supported FKT attempt, with his dad and uncle present there and acting as the eyes in the back of his head. A couple of locals from Specialized Japan were also there to document the ride and assist with the language barrier when needed.
Aware of the ferry crossing needed to reach the island of Hokkaido, he tried to build an early buffer, with an average of more than 500 kilometers per day and 3 hours of sleep. His appetite kept changing as the days passed by, which is good when you are in a foreign country and want to taste everything the local cuisine has to offer.
Human interaction was scarce but rewarding. “Support from local riders was beyond anything I had imagined. A simple wave, a smile, exchanging a few words in broken English… It inspired me to push on”, said Jack during one of the last stops before the end goal. The last stretch was in the dark, with below-freezing temperatures. The accumulated fatigue was apparent, but Jack showed his resilience as one of the most relevant ultra cyclists out there to pull it off.
He reached the Northernmost Point in Japan, Cape Soya, after a total elapsed time of 5 days and 17 minutes, 16 hours faster than the previous record time. Despite the fatigue, he immediately thanked his family for their support.
“The biggest takeaway from this adventure is the sheer importance of a good team, helping me through the lows and celebrating the highs. This is what I love about supported ultra cycling. This is not my record, this is our record, and we will forever share a bond because of what we achieved as a team” – Jack Thompson
Below, you will find the film covering the Japan crossing FKT. Kanao Itagaki was in charge of cinematography, and Jack was the editor. What’s next for him? With Jack, you can expect the impossible.
