Route: Bruce Trail (ON, Canada)

Update on Jamieson Hatt's FKT attempt.  Many thanks to Casey Thivierge for the updates along the way:

Jamieson completed the trail around 8pm on 9/23, in 12 days, 14 hours, 53 minutes! What a wild ride that was...especially the last 3 miles when we found it the map distances were wrong and we had a couple extra miles to cover. It's amazing what adrenaline can do! Seeing Jamieson run to the cairn in Queenston Heights with his father by his side and his mother waiting and cheering him on was a very special moment. It may not have been an FKT, however we feel it may have been the "Funnest Known Time". Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share Jamieson's journey. He may have came here looking for a possible FKT, but he left with a lot more than he could have ever wished for.

Day 1 (9/11) - Tobermory to Lions Head, 52 miles. Started 4:00am.  This is a remote section of the trail with little access and a rugged, technical route.

Day 2 (9/12) - Lions Head to Wiarton, 54 miles. Now out of the Peninsula portion of the Bruce.

Day 3 (9/13) - Left Wiarton very early with little sleep. Tried to make it to the KOA campground outside of Owen Sound, but came up short by about 6 miles. This Sydenham portion of the trail is considered the toughest by many.

Day 4 (9/14) - A major thunderstorm and buckets of rain delayed his start a couple hours in the morning, but the extra sleep was very much needed. Tough day on the trail with another long night left him about 15 miles short of Blantyre and remaining of the Sydenham portion of the trail.

Day 5 (9/15) - Better weather and the understanding of friends joining him on the trail today motivated Jamieson to an early start. It was a good day with solid motion and lots of smiles as he finished the day at 10:40pm near the southern point of the Beaver Valley Section.

Day 6 (9/16) - It was a good day for Jamieson. His spirits were high and his progress was solid as he was joined by the current male and female Bruce FKT record holders (Adam Burnett and Chantal Warriner) as well as fellow trail angel Cait Foisy and other friends. He trekked northbound towards the end of the Beaver Valley section of the trail. Tomorrow the plan is for an early rise to head into the Blue Mountains. He's covered about 275 miles of the trail thus far and the most difficult sections are now behind him.

Day 7 (Sept 17) - The day started early with a 3am rise and back on the trail to the conclusion of the Beaver Valley section of the Bruce and then north into the Blue Mountains near Collingwood. Around mid-day he concluded the last northbound section of the Bruce Trail and made the turn south which will lead him down toward Toronto and Hamilton. Jamieson finished the day at 7:44pm at the Nottawasaga Bluffs Conservation Area. This most likely means another early start tomorrow. 316 miles of trail are behind him and 14 miles remain of the Blue Mountain segment, which will then be followed by the Dufferin Hi-Land.

Day 8 (Sept 18) - Another early 3am start had Jamieson through the Blue Mountain segment and into the Dufferin Hi-Land. He was joined by current female FKT holder Chantal Warriner and they progressed consistently all day making their way within 4 miles of the end of the Dufferin section. Jamieson has thus far completed 350 miles of the Bruce Trail and has 206 miles remaining. He shut it down a few minutes past 7pm tonight just past Boyne Valley Provincial Park, which will most likely result in another 3am start tomorrow.

Day 9: (Sept 19), 6:20am (9d 2hr 20min) - The day concluded with Jamieson nearing the end of the Caledon Hills section of the trail. It was a day filled with trail angels and support as he was joined throughout the day by Chantal Warriner, Barb Campbell and once again by Adam Burnett (the male FKT record holder of the Bruce Trail). The icing on the cake was Cait Foisy spreading the word and having massage therapist Sonya Lee Reimer set up her table trail-side to give Jamieson a little tune-up Bruce Trail style. What an incredible journey this has been thus far!

Day  10 (Sept 20) - At 4am we're at 9 days done.  With 160+ miles remaining it seems the FKT of 9d21h14m is out of reach, but he's still going strong.  Jamieson was up at 2:30am and back on the trail this morning. He is currently going thru the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park.

Day 11 (Sept 21) - 10 days, 1 hour and 38 minutes after leaving the Northern Terminus of the Buce Trail in Tobermory, Jamieson has crossed under the 401 and is in the homestretch! It's a long homestretch with 78 miles of the Iroquoia section and 48 miles of the Niagara section remaining. It was an early start to the day as he hit the trail just prior to 3am...he likes his early mornings! With several friends and trail angels lined up to support him today and to the end, he is in great spirits and loving the camaraderie of the trail community. So far he has traveled 430 miles and ascended 55,600' of the 65,982' he is determined to complete. With 126 miles to the finish and his good friends joining him on the trail, the plan is minimal sleep from here on out and a wild ride to the Southern Terminus in Queenston Heights!

Day 12 (Sept 22) - 10 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes - After a 20 hour day yesterday Jamieson is back on the trail at 3:30am and into the final push. 84 miles stand between him and the Southern Terminus in Queenston. Friends and running buddies Gord, Patrick and Casey are with him until the end and the plan is to keep rolling continuous now with minimal sleep.

Day 13 (Sept 23) - 12d 4h 37m in and we have about 45km to go. I’m with Jamieson right now and we continue to push they the Niagara section of the Bruce Trail. My next and final update will be when we touch the southern terminus later today!