Trail and ultra-runner Darcy Piceu has set a new speed record for the 211-mile (339 km) John Muir Trail in California. The endurance athlete was able to complete the entire route in 3 days, 4 hours, and 12 minutes, besting the previous record by more than 11 hours. That means she managed a steady pace of approximately 21 minutes and 40 second miles across the entire length of the run, while also accumulating more than 47,000 feet (14325 meters) of vertical gain.
The John Muir Trail begins in the Yosemite Valley and runs to the summit of Mount Whitney, following a section of the Pacific Crest Trail along the way. It is widely considered to be one of the most scenic routes in the entire U.S., passing through towering canyons, over high peaks, and past countless alpine lakes. The trail also passes through the stunningly beautiful Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks along the way too.
Piceau began her journey on the summit of Whitney and ran to Yosemite, covering the distance from the Whitney Portals to the Happy Isles trailhead in 3 days, 8 hours. She reached her finish line this past Sunday, using a light and fast equipment list that included wearing a pair of Hoka One One Challenger ATR 3 running shoes.
This is a pretty impressive feat on a rugged and challenging trail. Congratulations to Darcy for completing the run and setting the new speed record. It’ll definitely be a tough one to beat.
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