A 66-year-old Frenchman is making his way across the American heartland entirely on foot, walking nearly 2,450 miles of Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles in a bid to finish within 90 days. Josyan Sieurac passed through Depew, Oklahoma recently as part of the trek, logging daily distances that add up to a marathon or more, every single day.
Sieurac is a 66-year-old from southern France, and according to News On 6, he decided to take on the challenge because he loves Route 66, is turning 66 this year, and finally has the time to pursue it. He began his current trek on September 26, and he is completing the entire journey without cars, trains or planes, relying solely on his own two feet to cover ground other travelers would drive in a matter of days.
The route has carried him through communities across Oklahoma, including a 31-mile stretch from Bristow to Chandler, the outlet reports. Sieurac has said he is heading to Los Angeles by Route 66 to mark the road's century, timing his walk to coincide with the centennial being celebrated nationwide.
A Road Built on Legend, Now Turning 100
Route 66 was designated as one of the nation's original numbered highways in November 1926, and though it was decommissioned as a federal highway in 1985, the mystique never faded, per WTTW. People from around the world still travel the road for its cultural history, neon signage, kitschy motels and food, the station notes, and more than 250 of its buildings, districts and road segments are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Official U.S. Route 66 Centennial organization confirms the road is approaching its 100th anniversary this year, a milestone drawing renewed attention from travelers like Sieurac.
The full route runs roughly 2,400 miles from Chicago through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica, California, according to WTTW's reporting. News On 6 describes Sieurac's own journey as nearly 2,450 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles, while French outlet La Dépêche has separately reported distances for his Route 66 travels ranging from roughly 3,770 to nearly 3,900 kilometers, with destinations described in some accounts as Los Angeles and in others as Santa Monica. The discrepancies across reporting have not been reconciled.
Strangers, Sore Feet and a Previous Crossing
Sieurac told News On 6 that the daily mileage was especially punishing during the trip's first month, and that strangers have sometimes given him food and water after he knocked on their doors along the way. He said he enjoys watching the American landscape unfold and experiencing a type of road stretch that simply does not exist back home in France. He documents the journey with photographs and social media updates, sharing his progress with friends and family overseas — who, he has said, call him crazy for doing it.
This is not Sieurac's first time attempting such a crossing. La Dépêche has reported that he completed a solo Route 66 walk in 2024, and the publisher behind his book, Az'art Atelier Editions, describes that earlier trek as 3,940 kilometers covered over 100 days. Sieurac later wrote a book about the experience titled Seul à pied sur la Route 66, subtitled The Crazy French Runner, according to La Dépêche's interview with him. That outing was tied to charitable causes supporting sick children, including the groups Un Maillot pour la Vie and Liam à l'Infini + 1 000, La Dépêche reported.
What Comes Next for the Walker
La Dépêche has also reported that Sieurac plans to return to Route 66 at the end of 2026 to mark its centennial, and that he intends to walk 1,000 kilometers along the Great Wall of China in 2027. A Garmin MapShare page tracking his movements identifies him by name and labels the current journey simply Route66, allowing followers to watch his progress in real time.
For now, Sieurac's focus remains on the pavement ahead, state line by state line, as he works toward Los Angeles before his 90-day window closes. Whether measured in miles or kilometers, through Los Angeles or Santa Monica, the walk has already carried him through small-town Oklahoma and the kindness of strangers who fed him along the way.
