Gary Robbins begins epic East Coast Trail run

Canadian ultrarunner Gary Robbins has begun his attempt to run the entire 220K-long East Coast Trail in Newfoundland in one go. Read about it here or follow his updates on Twitter (the posts are bit jumbled as they’re being relayed through his 14-year-old niece).

Here’s a summary of the trail that Robbins wrote on his blog:

If this trail were hard packed and well marked I’d wager to say it could be doable in under 24hr, but that’s not the type of terrain I’ll be dealing with here in Newfoundland. Though the scenery will be stunning, with sea stacks, sheer cliff side drops, lighthouses, blowholes, and even possible icebergs and as of late Killer Whales! This will be a true adventure.

Having spoken with Ray Zahab himself and doing some online searching I’ve been told to expect sections of ‘no distinguishable trail, mud and bog potentially thigh deep, and moose paths that often appear as running trails. Hopefully I don’t end up running in circles once the sun sets.