I set out on my first solo FKT attempt across the Millennium Trail on a crisp, sunny late fall morning. The temperature hovered around 5°C, with a bright blue sky and barely any wind - perfect conditions for a long run. I was looking for a challenging but fun route this fall to take advantage of a solid block of running over summer, and this one looked like a beauty! The in-laws are in Trenton so we dropped off the kids in the morning, and then I got dropped off at the start of the trail at the canal in Carrying Place, with a night away in Picton to look forward to at the far end of the trail.
Trail:
The first 2 km were rough, with coarse rock underfoot, but once I hit the official trail start, it transitioned to hard-packed crushed gravel that carried me most of the way. The first half was fairly busy with lots of walkers, ATVs, and cyclists out enjoying the day, and lots of horse manure. There was a detour in Wellington which I documented with photos, which added about 800m to the total trail based on the trail signage. After that point, the route was much quieter, and the second half of the trail was marked by large puddles that had turned into bird baths, and the unmistakable smell of manure from nearby farms. My legs were screaming toward the end, but I dug deep and kept pushing.
Fueling:
I packed a 1.5 L bladder of water and 600ml of sport drink, plus half a dozen Costco granola bars and half a dozen gels. Fueling went mostly to plan - I snacked every 5-6km until the ~35km mark, and then downed the remaining gels to keep the energy going. I ended up having 4 bars, 6 gels, 600ml of sport drink, and 1L of water. In hindsight, I could’ve used a surge of caffeine in the final stretch, but I made the best of what I had.
The trail finished on the far (east) side of County Road 49 at White Chapel, and after taking some finishing photos, I hobbled the remaining way to Parsons Brewery for a celebratory pretzel and beverage. It was a tough but rewarding day - a beautiful run through Prince Edward County, and a memorable first solo FKT. Kudos to the folks who've ran this route before and cheers to the ones who are yet to come!