Agassiz's ultra-marathoner and trail runner Marina Striker once again put her endurance skills to the test.
Striker recently ran The Divide 200, a gruelling 200-mile race that takes up to 100 racers through the Alberta Rocky Mountains along the Continental Divide over spectacular landscapes, varying terrain and through high elevations.
With an impressive time of 82:09:29.5, Striker finished fourth her gender category, 13th overall and first in her age group, traversing a total of 335 kilometres and sleeping a total of 45 minutes over the course of four days.
In a Facebook post, Striker said the Divide 200 strips racers down to their grit.
"You either have it, or you don't," Striker wrote. "Just how long can one go when stripped to the core of vulnerability is the true test."
She said the course along the Alberta Rockies was "truly magnificent" to see, from the wildlife to the sweeping views.
Striker said her fellow racers helped pick her up when it seemed there was nothing ahead but "neverending darkness and climbing."
Striker is no stranger to herculean achievements in long-distance running. In 2020, she broke the record as the fastest female to conquer the 76-kilometre run along the Hudson Bay Company Trail from Tulameen to Peers Creek in Hope. Last year, she placed ninth in her gender and 31st overall int he Hawaiian Ultra Running Team's Trail 100-mile Endurance Run (also called the Hurt 100). She created her own 100-mile race in the Chilliwack area known as Marina's Colossal 100.
