One of the world’s most punishing endurance challenges has a new record holder: New Zealand ultra-runner Sophie Woods has conquered the 2,000-kilometer Via Alpina route across eight European countries in just 29 days, cutting six full days off the previous fastest mark set earlier this year.
The iconic trail stretches the entire length of the Alps, starting in Italy and winding through Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and France before reaching the finish line on Monaco’s Mediterranean coast. For context, the total elevation gain along the route equals climbing Mount Everest 12 times over. Only a small handful of runners have ever attempted the route under formal timing, given its extreme technical difficulty and physical demand.
Woods launched her attempt on July 4, but from the start, her journey was beset by unforeseen challenges. This summer, a series of record-breaking heatwaves and extreme weather have swept across southern Europe, sparking widespread wildfires that have forced hundreds of thousands of evacuations across France, Spain and Portugal. On Italy’s hottest weekend, nearly all major cities were placed on the highest red heat alert. These conditions forced Woods and her support crew to detour around active fire zones, adding an extra 5 kilometers and 200 meters of dangerous, unplanned climbing to her already grueling route. On top of wildfires and extreme heat, the team also fought through severe storms, a biting horsefly swarm, and constant physical discomfort.
The 42-year-old runner shared that the first two weeks of the attempt were brutal. “The first week was horrendous – everything was swollen, everything was sore. I was sure I was going to pull 15 million muscles,” she told BBC Sport in a post-run interview. By the third week, however, her body adapted, and she found a steady rhythm. “It was like I was eating mountains for breakfast,” she joked.
To sustain 15 to 18 hours of nonstop running each day, Woods relied on a practical diet of McDonald’s meals, pasta, and energy gels, with constant support from her husband George, friend Zoe, and their dog Nila along the route. In the final push to the finish, she pushed through on just 90 minutes to two and a half hours of sleep per night to secure the sub-30 day completion she had targeted from the start.
The previous record for the fastest Via Alpina crossing was set by British runner Jake Catterall, who finished the route in 35 days in 2024. Reflecting on her achievement after crossing the finish line Saturday night, Woods said she was both overjoyed and completely exhausted. “I am ecstatic but knackered,” she said. “There were a few points where I felt like I don’t know how I’m going to get to the finish of this. I never wanted to stop but the enormity of the task was overwhelming at times.”
Woods added that her grit for long, punishing mountain efforts is what set her apart, even if she is not the fastest sprinter on the ultra circuit. “I might not be the fastest person out there but I know how to do big, long days in the mountains and just keep moving when everything hurts,” she said.
Woods’ record-breaking run caps a standout year for women in ultra-running, coming just months after Rachel Entrekin set a new course record at the grueling Cocodona 250 race back in May. For Woods personally, the challenge came after a difficult multi-year fertility journey that included IVF treatment. She explained that after that experience, she wanted to push her boundaries and build a life that felt fully her own, setting her sights on the Via Alpina record from the moment she signed up for the attempt. “I didn’t want to be running for more than 30 days – 30 days is enough,” she said. “I knew that I was strong and capable. But this has taken it over and beyond that.”
She summed up the core of ultra-endurance running as equal parts preparation and mental toughness: “Ultra-running is about preparation, mental strength and being able to continue to persevere when things go wrong. I think women are really good at adapting and continuing.”
Now that she has secured her place in endurance running history, Woods says she is ready for a much-deserved break. “I intend to spend quite a lot of time on the couch and watch Netflix – and eat some vegetables,” she joked.