A coast-to-coast run has ended with an historic finish for a determined Okotokian.
Ultra-marathon runner Dave Proctor completed his 7,200km cross-Canada trek from Newfoundland to the Mile 0 marker in Victoria, B.C. on July 21 in a new world record 67.5 days, to shatter Al Howie’s benchmark of 72 days and 10 hours — a mark which has stood since 1991.
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Proctor averaged roughly 105km per day during the gruelling trek from St. John’s to Victoria, the run culminating with an emotional finish with family and supporters by his side at the Terry Fox Statue at the Mile 0 marker in B.C.'s capital city on Thursday afternoon.
The 2022 cross-Canada run was Proctor’s second attempt and first since 2018 when his journey was halted near the midway point in Manitoba due to a back injury, with the athlete running west to east during his first shot.
The pandemic then delayed the potential for attempting the feat for two years running, until the skies opened for the opportunity once again this spring.
“But this time around, in 2022, my hope and goals are for myself,” Proctor told the Western Wheel earlier this month.
“I’ve got these really big goals of going out and living my life and doing something really hard, and challenging myself.
“And I couldn't think of anything harder in the world than to break the trans-Canada speed record.”
A decorated athlete in the world of ultra-marathon, Proctor owns Canadian records in distance over 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours along with world records in treadmill running over 12 and 24 hours as well as in time in the 100-mile distance.
More to come as this story will be updated.
