North Vancouver long-distance runner Nicola Gildersleeve obliterated the record on the 180-kilometre Sunshine Coast Trail earlier this month, completing the trek in 33 hours and 50 minutes.
Gildersleeve knocked 10 hours off of the old record set 10 years ago by Ean Jackson. The trail stretches from Sarah Point in Desolation Sound to Saltery Bay, passing along coastal shorelines, beside creeks and lakes and through old growth forests.
The Sunshine Coast Trail features a hut-to-hut system that allows visitors to complete multi-day hikes without carrying a tent. Gildersleeve had little need for much shelter, however, as she took off from the starting point at 8 a.m. Sept. 6 and stopped only for short breaks until arriving at the finish line the following evening.
