Sophie Woods nears Via Alpina record after storms and wildfires

Sophie Woods was closing in on the Via Alpina finish after leaving Trieste on July 4 and spending nearly a month on foot across the Alps. Her attempt stretched through Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France and Monaco, with storms, floods, wildfires and temperatures up to 37C shaping the route.

The red trail is regarded as one of the harder mountain traverses in Europe, and FastestKnownTime.com lists it as a Premier Route that demands a high standard of documentation and verification for any FKT claim. The route is described as about 2,000 kilometres long, with one account putting the full challenge at more than 2,000 kilometres and 100,000 metres of altitude gain.

Woods’ effort was tied to the outright record, not only the women’s mark. One post said the current overall record stood at 35 days, 21 hours, 4 minutes and 2 seconds, set by Jake Catterall in August 2024, while the women’s supported record was listed at 38 days. Another post said Woods was on track to beat the overall time by about five days, placing her within range of becoming the fastest person ever to complete the route.

The scale of the run was already clear before she reached the final stages. Coverage noted that Woods had passed 1,000 kilometres and more than 50,000 metres of elevation gain, a tally that underscores how the Via Alpina combines distance with sustained climbing rather than a simple point-to-point race. Marathon Handbook wrote about her record chase on July 23, and later updates said she was approaching the finish five days before publication.

The weather made the effort as much a test of endurance in a changing climate as of athletic speed. Reports along the route described extreme conditions, including storms, heat, floods and wildfire risk in the mountains, with one post saying Woods had spent nearly three weeks alone in the mountains and another noting she remained on pace despite wildfires in the route area. Woods said it was an incredible experience.