Ran from the start of stage 1 in Port Alberni to the end stage 3 where it meets Headquarters Bay rd where we had stashed a truck the day before. Total time 3:20:31 ! No current female time so our goal was to put something relatively competitive on the board, but ended up sneaking past the overall FKT by 13 minutes.
Stage 1 begins with a 3km steady but runnable climb, followed by a flowy descent to the Alberni inlet. From Boy Scout Beach, the trail winds technically along the coast for 10km before finishing at the china creek marina and campground parking lot. The second two thirds of stage 1 are by far the most technical and challenging of the route - plan to take more time and fuel in that section despite how it looks on the map. Even in the hottest days of summer there is water at Chine Creek just before the end of stage 1 so you can count on that spot for a refill. Other than that, there are lots of small creeks that flow towards the inlet along this stage but they are almost all dry by mid summer.
Stage 2 is more runnable and smooth - it begins with some time along a logging road where you can make up some time from stage 1. Then there's another couple KM of fairly flat single track following under cool mossy cliffs. There is trickling creeks that run off the edges of these cliffs so you can find small water refill spots on this stage, but if it's been a hot summer they will be pretty slow.
There's a river crossing required between stage 2 and 3 (the Franklin River) which at this time of year (July) was at our mid-thigh height. Earlier in the spring the river is much faster and higher. Goes without saying but obviously you can fill up water bottles here.
Stage 3 was new to us, and is absolutely beautiful. Approximately three quarters of this stage is single track that follows an old rail grade through the forest, so if you have any juice left in the legs you can move pretty quick. There are numerous creek crossings which break up the rail grade along this stage. The old trestles are rotten out so you have steep switch backs down to the creeks and back up the other sides. Almost all of the creeks on stage 3 had steady flowing water for us!
The Alberni Valley is notoriously hot during the summer months and the water sources are scarce on stage 1 and 2 the further in to the summer you push. We elected to run this route in July despite the heat so that we knew the Franklin river would be a quick and easy crossing. Our goal was to be done and off the trail by lunch to beat the hottest part of the day, which worked out well. If you were planning on stashing water or food resupplies, there are parking lots between each of the stages (we did not do this but one definitely could.)