Boston – September 15, 2026 -- Ultra-endurance cyclist Jack Thompson departed Boston today on a 10,000-mile, 60-day ride across all 48 contiguous U.S. states, partnering with national sobriety and mental health platform NewForm to document how American communities are building recovery and connection networks.
Thompson's 60-day route spans the continental U.S. before ending in Santa Cruz
The journey, dubbed "Ride the Nation," is scheduled to conclude around November 13 in Santa Cruz, California. Thompson will stop in communities nationwide to meet recovery groups, schools, local leaders and individuals navigating addiction, sobriety and mental health challenges.
NewForm connects Thompson to its partner network, including Recovery Café Network and The Phoenix
At each stop, Thompson will engage with organizations from NewForm's national partner network, including the Recovery Café Network and The Phoenix, to study their approaches to community-building and support. NewForm co-founder Scott Strode said the ride does not carry a single prescribed answer for recovery. "Different communities have different needs, and people find purpose and support in remarkably different ways," Strode said.
A decade after his own recovery, Thompson built a career on endurance cycling
More than 10 years ago, Thompson was struggling with addiction and mental health challenges. Cycling gave him structure and community during his recovery, eventually becoming a career. He now holds multiple Guinness World Records and has raised more than $500,000 for nonprofit organizations through endurance cycling challenges.
Federal data shows more than one in five U.S. adults faced mental illness in 2025
The ride launches as mental health and substance use challenges affect millions of Americans. Federal data cited by organizers show more than one in five U.S. adults experienced a mental illness in 2025, with millions more navigating substance use and recovery. Thompson will also share his own path through cycling and movement as one example of finding purpose, without positioning it as a universal solution.
Public participation opportunities are planned along the route
Individuals and communities will have chances to meet Thompson, attend local events, and at select points join portions of the ride during the 60-day journey.