Cody Taylor, a 32-year-old ultrarunner from Cornwall, Ont., has set a new unsupported fastest known time (FKT) on the Bruce Trail, completing the gruelling 900-kilometre trek in an impressive 14 days and 30 minutes–carrying all of his food and gear, filtering water along the way and camping out on the trail each night, with no external assistance. Taylor’s achievement is remarkable considering he only began running two years ago and got into ultrarunning just last year. He is coached by Canadian ultrarunning legend Ray Zahab,Â
Taylor, who is also a drummer in the metal band Sicksense, turned to running during the pandemic, putting his music career on halt. “I saw quick progress and loved constantly pushing my own limits,” Taylor said. His first ultramarathon was an 80K race at the Quebec Mega Trail in 2022.
The Bruce Trail, which follows Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment from Niagara to Tobermory, is known for its up-and-down terrain. Taylor followed the the trail from south to north, starting in Queenston and travelling through Hamilton, Burlington, Halton, Caledon, the Blue Mountains and up the Bruce Peninsula. For his attempt to qualify as an unsupported run, Taylor had to beat the time set by Jamieson Hatt of McGregor, Ont., in 2022 at 14 days, five hours and 20 minutes.
“It’s cool to be fast, but really cool to do this self-sufficient,” Taylor said. He began the expedition with 13 days’ worth of nutrition packed in his 52.6-pound backpack. His base weight was around 20 pounds, with the rest being nutrition. He said he thought he had brought more food than he needed, and found himself throwing a lot of it out to lighten his pack by Day 7. On the final day, Taylor had run out of food with 90 kilometres still to go. “I just kept telling myself to move forward,” he says.
“I felt I was smart about the nutrition I brought,” Taylor added. “I had a lot of high-density bars, low-calorie cookies, and candy, which all worked for me.”
Taylor’s daily routine was extreme. He would begin each morning at 3:30 a.m. and run until 10 or 11 p.m. “I was very sleep-deprived, only getting two to three hours of sleep per day,” Taylor said. “I didn’t see many people out there, so I slept on the trail.”
In preparation for the attempt, Taylor spent his weekends training in the Adirondack Mountains in New York, which is known for its rocky terrain, and visited the Bruce Trail’s northern and southern terminus to familiarize himself with the route.
Taylor credits much of his success to his coach, Zahab. “I had no experience going in, and spent five weekends training for it. Ray helped me prepare with all the gear I needed,” he said. “If it wasn’t for him, this wouldn’t have been possible. The Bruce Trail FKT wouldn’t have been an idea without him. I’m super grateful.”
As for what’s next, Taylor plans to take on another crazy challenge next year. “I’m not built for speed,” he said. “I’m more of a knuckle grinder who can go forever.”
