The idea to attempt the unsupported FKT came to us (David and Jean-Charles) in September 2023 when David ran the previous supported FKT (which was recently lowered by Max Bibeau) with significant support from Jean-Charles’ pacing and crewing. In terms of specific preparation, we both maintained a solid base after racing the Nakkertok Enduro 12 hour and Gaspesia 85km earlier in the season. Jean-Charles also prepared for and raced the UTHC 80km, using this as his peak long run, while David ran an 80km time trial in Gatineau Park as his peak. We both went into our two-week taper prior to the effort feeling adequately prepared fitness-wise.
We were both very familiar with the perimeter trails, having run long stretches of them together (up to 59kms) multiple times since the September 2023 effort. We made a spreadsheet with the split times from the previous record holder, Michael O’Farrell, for various stretches of the trail that would act as checkpoints throughout the day. David set this spreadsheet as his phone background so that we could easily see our progress over the course of the run. We knew that the early splits were quite fast (faster than David’s 2023 supported effort) so we planned to run on feel, rather than chase the clock and potentially burn out early. For hydration and nutrition, we both carried soft flasks with a filter each, which we used to filter water around 6 times throughout the day, as well as a handheld flask for water and Naak drink mix. We carried a mix of solid and semi-solid fuels including gels, bars, candies, purees, gummies, and even some perogies - in total, we managed to consume roughly 55g of carbs per hour. We both also used salt pills to help top up our electrolytes.
We started at 5:09am in the dark and made good time to our first checkpoint at Relais Plein Air. We were surprised to see we already had an early lead on the record pace. Despite the effort feeling reasonable, David began noticing some pain in his left ankle tendon, possibly from incorporating more road running than usual in his taper. This pain persisted until around the 36km mark, at which point it seemed to settle down altogether. Throughout the day, the weather was very agreeable - sunny and cloudy, but not too warm, with ample water in the creeks and lakes we passed by. We continued to maintain a consistent effort through the technical escarpment trails, and were pleased to see we had not only a lead on the FKT but also on David’s 2023 supported time as we passed through Taylor Lake. As we got into the less technical sections of the trail, our pace slowed slightly on the groomed, rolling doubletrack, but we maintained a steady gap on the FKT. If anything, the steeper, more rocky sections of trail felt like the easiest terrain to run on as the day progressed. We crested the last hill past Camp Fortune just as the sun was setting, and ran the last 30 minutes in the dark. The ultralight headlamps we both used ran out of power, so we sprinted into the finish line using our phone flashlights to guide the way, to the cheers of our friends David, Pierrick, Annie, and Paul.
Overall the run went very well. We worked together well as a team, and meant a lot to us both to be able to accomplish a goal we had set out to do almost two years ago. With both the supported and unsupported efforts being lowered in 2025, it’s certainly an exciting time to be running in the Gatineau Park!