Sophie Woods has become the fastest person to complete the Via Alpina, a roughly 2,000-kilometer ultramarathon traversing the Alps across eight countries. Woods finished the challenging route in 29 days, surpassing the previous record of 35 days by a margin of six days.
During her journey, Woods encountered a variety of extreme conditions, including storms, temperatures as high as 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), floods, and wildfires. She described her mindset during the race as focusing on the present moment, stating, "Through the whole thing, I was only ever thinking about the day, the hour, the sort of minute that I was in."
Woods credited a simple, unconventional aid with helping her maintain stamina: ice cream slushies. The runner found this method effective in powering through the demanding race.