Kristin Clarke, who recently found a love of adventure runner, says racing the Inca Trail was the most impossible but rewarding journey. (Inca Trail Marathon/Facebook)

By Spencer Sterritt

running the distance

Nanaimo runner triumphs on gruelling Inca Trail marathon

Aug 18, 2019 | 1:32 AM

NANAIMO — An avid Nanaimo runner has one of the worlds toughest mountain trails under her belt.

Kristin Clarke finished the Inca Trail Marathon on Aug. 8 in eight hours and 40 minutes. She was declared the overall winner of the 26.2 mile race in the Andes Mountains up steep cliffs, down jagged stairs and through hot scenic vistas.

“They call it the hardest marathon in the world and they don’t lie,” she told NanaimoNewsNOW shortly after returning from South America.

Though she’s an avid runner, this was Clarke’s first marathon and the first time overcoming such difficult terrain.

The gravity of how tough the marathon was going to be landed on Clarke almost immediately. The Inca Trail is thousands of feet above sea level and the high altitude nearly derailed her run.

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“I had headaches, sickness and discovered I was going to have to go a lot slower than I normally do. I think I was a little overconfident before I arrived and then I was a bit humbled when I found out what the elevation was.”

Slowly but surely Clarke ran through three mountain passes and four mountain climbs, focused on putting one foot in front of the other and following hikers on the trail.

“I was so out of breath, dizzy, feeling sick to my stomach on all of my climbs.”

The halfway point of the marathon is known as Dead Woman’s Pass. It rests at an elevation of 13,800 feet. It’s 5,000 feet up from where Clarke started.

Unfortunately she couldn’t make up for a slow pace when coming down the hills, since it was just jagged and rough stairs all the way down.

Clarke said despite the name of the marathon, the route isn’t exactly runnable.

It can be easy to look at the ground when running through such difficult terrain, but Clarke said anyone on the trail would miss stunning views of lush mountain valleys and wild flowers.

Runners also had an experience few get when they mingled with at base camp with the race porters and organizers.

They assembled and split all of their items the night before and gave them out to everyone involved in helping them along their arduous journey.

Clarke said she felt they really made a difference in the lives on those who live in the area.

She’s unsure what her next adventure run will be.

“I don’t necessarily like to do the same thing more than once, because I feel like there’s just so much to see out there, so much to explore. I really want to keep running in new places.”

She suggested perhaps a run along the Great Wall of China will be in her future.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit