Ultrarunner

Sophie Woods Completes Via Alpina in 29 Days, Sets Eight-Country Record

Ultrarunner Sophie Woods finished the Via Alpina in 29 days, traversing eight countries (Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France and Monaco) and covering about 1,240 miles to set new men’s and women’s records, beating the previous best by six days. She started in Trieste on July 4 and ended in Monaco, facing extreme heat, sleeping fewer than 2.5 hours per night toward the end, and receiving emotional and logistical support from her husband and dog, with ice-slushed cooling helping her cope.