09/12/2026
A huge shout-out to Tanner Faris, Kelly Middle School seventh-grade math teacher and ultra-endurance cyclist, who biked the U.S. Pacific Coast from Canada to Mexico, a distance of 1,657 miles, in 7 days, 19 hours and 56 minutes to kick off his summer vacation in June.
Faris began training last fall to surpass the fastest known time for the route of 9 1/2 days. But about a month before he set off, another ultra-endurance cyclist completed the trek in 6 1/2 days, shaving three days off the old mark. Undeterred, Faris began his attempt on the morning of June 18 in Blaine, Wash., and with no support team arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in the early morning hours of June 26, averaging 212 miles a day.
Following his epic ride, Faris said he was bummed that he had been unable to surpass the new mark. He had finally met a limit that he couldn’t pedal past. Or had he? A friend lifted his spirits noting that Faris had beaten his original goal—in fact, he had crushed it. And already Faris’ mind is working on his plans for his next summer vacation. “I’ll be back,” he said.
You can read more about Faris' epic summer trek here: https://www.4j.lane.edu/24697_2?articleID=76042. Congratulations, Tanner, for showing us that the unfathomable can be achieved with preparation, perseverance, focus and all-out effort!
