Meet 18 long-distance Greenway travelers of 2022

In 2022, an inspirational group of individuals again tackled long-distance trips on the East Coast Greenway, including the first-ever runner of the entire route and the first-known unicyclist to travel from Maine to Florida on the Greenway. The Alliance team has already been in touch with folks planning some special trips in 2023. 

As a reminder, long-distance travel via on-road sections of the East Coast Greenway is recommended for experienced cyclists, runners and walkers only. Prior to planning any long-distance East Coast Greenway ride, please utilize our online trip planning resources.

With that in mind, let’s learn more about some inspiring and impactful East Coast Greenway adventurers from 2022:

Shan Riggs and Josh Grant: Ultramarathoner Shan Riggs departed Key West on April 16, in an attempt to become the first-known runner to cover the entire East Coast Greenway. Joining Shan’s bike-supported run was his partner, cyclist Joshuaine (Josh) Grant, who transported their supplies on a bike trailer. We were fortunate to capture the story of their 78-day, 3,000-mile adventure, which ended with a surprise proposal and a set of matching Greenway tattoos. Shan and Josh raised nearly $20,000 in support of future Greenway development during their journey.

Jeremy Chapman: Motivated by the loss of his mother earlier this year, Maine-based Jeremy Chapman biked the entire East Coast Greenway in a record 24 days, finishing in June. “I saw the good side in people,” Chapman said of his trip when featured in the Lincoln County News alongside fellow record-setter Shan Riggs. 

Pat King: Seattle's Pat King completed a 64-day East Coast adventure, predominantly on the East Coast Greenway route, from Key West to Nova Scotia in July. 

Barb and Gene Geiger: "Our itinerary was built not on the desire to make record time, but with the hope of enjoying the ride and the people we met along the way.” Barb and Gene Geiger completed a Florida-to-Maine East Coast Greenway through-ride in July. Learn more about their trip via their excellent blog. 

Erin Trauttman: What did you do on your summer vacation? Pennsylvania middle school music teacher and band director Erin Trautmann completed a southbound through-ride of the entire East Coast Greenway in 47 days. “Not that everyone needs to ride their bike down the East Coast, but just the idea that ‘you are capable of more than you think you are,’ is important,” Trautmann told The Morning Call. 

Christoph Lukesch and Claudia Lutz: The East Coast Greenway "created one of the best traveling experiences in our life. You can see it on many pictures of us smiling …” Completing a northbound ride in Calais, Maine, on May 31, Switzerland residents Christoph Lukesch and Claudia Lutz were the first known through-riders of 2022. They shared their experiences via a very detailed blog. 

Tony Cherolis: Longtime Connecticut supporter Tony Cherolis completed his ride of the entire East Coast Greenway by cycling from Washington, D.C., to Key West in 2022. A few years ago, he biked the northern half from Maine to D.C. After reaching Key West in November, he cycled north along Florida's Gulf Coast through the Panhandle and towards New Orleans. 

Avery Seuter: After first learning about the East Coast Greenway as a preschooler in the Jacksonville, Florida, area, then-19-year-old Avery Seuter started what is believed to be the first-ever Maine-to-Florida trip on the Greenway via unicycle in 2022 and finished in January 2023. “Unless you own a car, at least where I am, it’s very difficult to get to places, even just two miles to work,” Seuter said on a stop at Alliance headquarters in Durham, North Carolina. “I got interested in what kinds of infrastructure is out there and ways we can make it easier for people to get to these places without a car.”

Cory McAbee: Cory McAbee is a writer, director, singer, songwriter, musician, actor, animator and illustrator. He biked from Maine to Florida on the East Coast Greenway route in 2022 in support of I_Butterfly, a nationwide festival of self-guided bike tours that follow the monarch butterfly paths during the summer/fall migration season. 

Heather and Mark Segal: After riding from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida, in 2021, Heather and Mark Segal traveled from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Key West via bicycle in 45 days, utilizing much of the East Coast Greenway. Their ride was a fundraiser for the Reeve Foundation. Learn more about their adventures on their excellent blog. 

Marc Maximov: In 2020, Bike Durham Board Chair Marc Maximov was airlifted following a crash while riding in Arizona. In May 2022, he joined our second annual New York City-to-Philadelphia Greenway Ride in support of a completed East Coast Greenway.

Philippe Martin: Philippe Martin of Switzerland completed a seven-week ride from Miami to Calais on the East Coast Greenway in April and added another three weeks in Canada for more than 3,900 miles on his North American adventure. Learn more from his detailed blog. 

Alessandra and Patrick Hagarty: With several friends and family members - including two toddlers - joining the fun, Alessandra Hagarty and her now-husband Patrick (pictured below) rode much of the Greenway in Maine en route to their wedding last summer in Acadia National Park. Daily rides ranged from 18 to 62 miles.

“Just wanted to say THANK YOU for all of your efforts making this trail possible and for the continuing efforts to eventually make this trail completely car-free,” said Alessandra Hagarty. “Most days we were impressed with how good the signage was, and that was very helpful. It was a spectacular way to get to know Maine and it made me want to already plan our next bike tour.”