Running News Daily

New Zealand ultra-endurance runner Sophie Woods has etched her name into mountain running history after completing the entire length of the Alps in the fastest time ever recorded, becoming the first person to conquer the legendary route in under 30 days.

The 42-year-old reached the Mediterranean coastline in Monaco on Saturday night, bringing to an end an extraordinary 2,000-kilometre journey along the iconic Via Alpina. Her remarkable crossing took just 29 days, shattering both the overall and women's fastest known times on one of Europe's most demanding long-distance routes.

Woods began her challenge in Trieste, Italy, on July 4 before traversing seven countries—Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and France—across some of the continent's most rugged and unforgiving mountain terrain.

The scale of the achievement is almost difficult to comprehend. Over the course of the expedition, Woods climbed a cumulative elevation equivalent to ascending Mount Everest 12 times, while covering relentless daily distances through alpine passes, remote trails and rapidly changing weather conditions.

Her record-breaking performance eclipsed the previous overall fastest known time, established by British ultra-runner Jake Catterall in 2024, by an astonishing six days. She also lowered the women's benchmark, previously held by Dutch endurance athlete Tessa Caspers, by nine days, setting a new standard that will be difficult to match.

The journey, however, was far from straightforward. Woods endured a brutal European heatwave, battled powerful mountain storms, navigated around wildfires that forced a five-kilometre detour, and pushed through relentless swarms of horseflies. As the finish drew closer, she made perhaps her greatest sacrifice—cutting her sleep to as little as 90 minutes to two-and-a-half hours per night to ensure the record remained within reach.

Despite the physical exhaustion, the New Zealander refused to let adversity slow her pursuit of history. Her resilience, meticulous planning and unwavering determination carried her across one of the world's toughest mountain traverses at a pace never before achieved.

Moments after reaching Monaco, the magnitude of the accomplishment began to sink in.

"I can't believe I did it. I am ecstatic but knackered."

With her unforgettable 29-day crossing, Sophie Woods has not only rewritten the record books but also delivered one of the most remarkable endurance performances the ultra-running world has witnessed, raising the bar for future athletes dreaming of conquering the Alps.