British endurance athlete Imo Boddy has broken a new barrier in the ultra world by smashing the women’s Fastest Known Time (and setting a world record) for completing the U.K. Three Peaks. Boddy bested, by 18 hours, a record that has stood for 45 years.
Beginning on the morning of May 15, Boddy, who is 24, dipped her hand in the sea in Scotland. By 12:43 pm on May 21, she had reached the Welsh coast, completing a 680-kilometer trek over the National Three Peaks of Scotland (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden) with more than 10,000 metres of elevation gain. “The conditions of the record are that Imo must start with one hand in the water in Scotland and finish with one hand in the water in Wales,” Boddy wrote at the start, recording her journey in a diary on Instagram,
Breaking a 45-year-old record
Boddy’s time of six days, five hours, 43 minutes surpassed the previous female record of seven days and 31 minutes, set by Ann Sayer in 1979. The men’s FKT in this area is also long-standing, set just a year after Sayer, by Arthur Eddleston: five days, 23 hours, and 37 minutes. Covering at least 100 kilometeres each day, Boddy faced both diverse terrain and unforgiving asphalt between the highest peaks in the U.K. Sleep was limited to short naps in a support van driven by her parents, and unseasonably warm weather added to the already intense trek. “Get me to bed; I’ve never been so excited for a nap,” she posted after day five.
Community support
Aside from Boddy’s remarkable fitness, she was bolstered to persevere by an incredible community that rallied around her. “The thing that perks Imo up the most (apart from a @rowntreesuk lolly) is hearing the wonderful words from you lot, cheering her on and keeping one foot stepping in front of the other,” her team posted on social media. Boddy’s support crew included her parents, friends and fans, including Ironman legend Sean Conway, who ran alongside her in support, as well as two photographers who documented her trek.
An experienced FKT-er
This record isn’t Boddy’s first. In 2022, she became the youngest female (22) to run the length of the U.K. in a route called the JOGLE, covering 1,340 km from John o’Groats to Land’s End in 22 days, averaging 60 km per day. Boddy also competes in shorter distances like the marathon, and while she hasn’t yet announced her next big goal, it’s safe to say trail and ultra fans will be keeping an eye on this incredibly strong young athlete.
