Sophie Woods Shatters Via Alpina Record in 28-Day Alpine Odyssey

New Zealand ultrarunner Sophie Woods finished the 2,000 km Via Alpina trail in Monaco on 1 August, completing the course in 28 days, 17 hours and 59 minutes. The time beats the previous overall record of 35 days 21 hours set by British runner Jake Catterall and eclipses the former women’s best of 38 days held by Dutch runner Tessa Caspers. Woods began the journey from Muggia, near Trieste, on 4 July, traversing alpine routes across Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France and Monaco.

The Guardian

During the three-week trek Woods and her photographer Zoe Salt faced severe thunderstorms in the Swiss Alps, where conductive rocks left them with “nowhere to shelter in place.” Later, while running through Austria’s mountains in the early morning, a swarm of horseflies forced Woods to abandon her hiking poles and fend off the insects with ferns for an hour. She also endured a heatwave, an ankle sprain risk, and sustained a daily caloric intake of roughly 7,000 calories supported by her husband George Woods.

The Guardian

Born in Christchurch, Woods took up running after moving to the UK at age 20, progressing from short jogs to ultramarathons such as the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc and the Tor des Géants. By 2025, repeated IVF attempts left her feeling “just going through the motions,” prompting a shift toward a purpose-driven challenge. The Via Alpina attempt, organized with her husband as crew, became a means to reclaim confidence in her body after infertility struggles.

The Guardian

Following the finish, Woods’ Instagram following surged by more than 55,000 followers. She reports a flood of messages from women and girls worldwide seeking to try a 5 km run or push personal limits, noting that her achievement “has blown up” beyond the usual expectations of the trail-running community.

The Guardian

• “I was really struggling with the fact … that my life wasn’t going to look different, that I wasn’t going to be changing nappies and doing school runs,” — Sophie Woods

The Guardian

• “I had come from a place with the IVF where I was not particularly in love with my body,” — Sophie Woods

The Guardian