Unicyclist completes 2,400-mile, Maine-to-Florida East Coast Greenway ride

KEY WEST, Florida - Maine unicyclist Avery Seuter reached the southernmost point of the continental United States on Saturday to complete a record-setting, one-wheeled, 2,400-mile adventure on the East Coast Greenway. 

Seuter, who departed his hometown of Wells, Maine, on Sept. 8, 2022, is the first-known person to ride from Maine to Florida on the East Coast Greenway route on a unicycle. On average, he covered 20-30 miles per day. 

“The support I've received from the larger cycling and general community has been really incredible,” said Seuter. “I've just been blown away by the amount of help I received from people along the trail, whether it be giving me somewhere to stay or donating to the East Coast Greenway or just helping me in small ways like giving me water.” 

After developing a keen interest in car-free infrastructure, Seuter rode to raise money for and awareness about the East Coast Greenway, a developing bicycle and pedestrian route connecting 15 states and 450 communities from Maine to Florida. To date, he has raised more than $5,000 for the East Coast Greenway Alliance via his Instagram account. 

“Pioneers like Avery bring the East Coast Greenway dream to life. I was inspired by his ability to build community and move the Greenway forward by spreading the word and supporting our efforts to build a healthy and sustainable future,” said East Coast Greenway Alliance Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano. “Congratulations on your amazing feat, Avery!”

There have been other long-distance unicycle rides on the Greenway route before, but Seuter’s ride is believed to be the first Maine-to-Florida attempt. His ride has generated national media attention, including coverage on ABC News and a mention on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

“I’m super honored to have had so much attention on this trip, from the media and from people in general,” Seuter said.

On a break from college, Seuter began the ride as a 19-year-old and celebrated his 20th birthday on the Greenway on Jan. 19. 

He first learned about the East Coast Greenway as a preschooler in the Jacksonville, Florida, area. “I remember our teacher took us out to a part of the trail that was just being built, and she told us that at one point in the future it’s going to connect all the way from Maine to Florida - and I didn’t believe it,” Seuter recalled. 

Fast forward more than a decade. Seuter, now living in Maine, was reintroduced to the trail via the East Coast Greenway sign on the Eastern Trail Bridge across Interstate 95 in Kennebunk, Maine. He soon unicycled the Eastern Trail from near his home in Wells to Portland. “That’s what made me want to do the whole segment,” Seuter said.