FKT: Alana Fletcher - Kissing Bridge Trailway (ON, Canada) - 2019-07-14

Athletes
Route variation
Standard route
Gender category
Female
Style
Supported
Finish date
Total time
3h 53m 22s
GPS track(s)
Report

It was an early morning as we were up at 4am and on the trail by 5:15. I started at the westerly end of the trail while it was still fairly dark and watched the sun rise as I ran toward it and through Linwood, where my fiancé, who was supporting me, met me for the first time to offer water. I nearly turned off course on the dogleg north of Hawkesville where the trail ends very briefly and redirects you to Powell road and Hwy 86, but my fiancé saved the day and pointed me in the right direction. Passing Elmira, the golf course was a visual highlight on the right-hand side. The next notable feature on the route was the picturesque West Montrose covered bridge, or "Kissing Bridge," the last covered bridge in Ontario, where of course I had to get a kiss from my supporter! Getting back on the trail from Katherine Street was slightly confusing as the path to some stairs below the overpass was quite overgrown, but I found it again without too much trouble. Lots of tree cover kept me cool for the next stretch, although my legs were starting to burn as I neared the 40k mark. I dropped my fuel belt with my fiancé with 6km left, carrying only my cell phone for the GPS, and the new-found lightness felt wonderful. By this time I knew I would likely beat the previously-established FKT set by Mickey Scott earlier this year by 3-5 minutes, and I picked up the pace a little and then pushed hard to the finish. My support was right there to celebrate with me as we checked the time on all my devices and confirmed the FKT. This was a fantastic first FKT experience that will always be cherished and will, I hope, not be my last!!