I’m not exactly at my best , but my willpower? Always sky-high!
I have no clue if anyone’s done this before—at least with GPS, it seems like no one has. Someone mentioned maybe a native did it? Doubt it. Pretty sure 21st-century-quality trails weren’t a thing back in the day!
For some reason, not many runners come out here, even though it’s such a perfect spot. So, I figured, why not do something cool in the Cortez, Colorado area? It’s packed with amazing trails, but hardly any of them are listed on the FKT website. That was my cue to step up and establish one!
I wanted to hit a bunch of FKTs in Sand Canyon, but there are so many trails, and they all connect. The logical move? Run them all in one go—one big, single-push project.
The plan was to make it as efficient as possible: no doubling back, just loops. I started with 19K, carrying a running belt with a soft flask (350mL of water) and some snacks. After that, I hit my car pit-stop, grabbed my running vest, stocked it with more food, 1.4L of water, and poles, and tackled the last 28-ish kilometers.
By 2 PM, the trails were practically empty, and by 3 PM, I think I saw one couple walking. Winter vibes made it chilly, especially after 1:30 PM, but that just added to the adventure.
The route? So much fun! Short, technical sections kept things interesting, but nothing too wild. The tough climb at the end? Definitely the ultimate boss fight. But after that, it was a smooth ride back to the car.
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All in all, an epic day out! The time could definitely be improved, but that’s the fun part of doing something for the first time—you have no idea if it’ll work or what pace to keep to at least finish it... That’s why, for me, being the first is always the most appealing.