Brothers set new record for 9,000-mile Pacific row
Original article published August 30, 2025
Two brothers have set a new record for rowing across the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first pair to complete the journey in under three months. The pair departed from Japan on May 26th and completed their journey in San Francisco on Sunday, August 29th. They beat the previous record set in 1992 by 61 days, rowing the 9,000 miles in 100 days, 9 hours, and 45 minutes.
U.S. Coast Guard officer Justin Pounds, 34, and his brother, Jonathan, a 36-year-old dentist, grew up in Sacramento and studied at the University of California, Berkeley. During their record-breaking attempt, the brothers reportedly endured severe weather conditions, high waves, and sharks, relying on hourly check-ins to stay motivated.
After completing their journey, Justin Pounds spoke about the importance of embracing discomfort and the keys to their success. He said: "We tried to optimize everything. We didn't bring any entertainment. We didn't bring any books. There was no music. There were no movies. We didn't have any caffeine. We didn't have any alcohol. We didn't have any sugar. We just optimized ourselves so we could be as efficient as possible."
