Grand Manan ultra‑runner to attempt 125 km world‑record run to mark the bridge’s 125th anniversary
Ultra-runner Brandon McCluskey will run 125km along the Hartland Covered Bridge to celebrate its 125th anniversary.
He aims to break the Guinness record for the “Furthest Distance Ran on a Covered Bridge.”
“Since I was a child, I’ve always been inspired by the Guinness Book of World Records and finding out that this year was the 125th anniversary of the Worlds Longest Covered Bridge, I thought it would be amazing to bring another world record to Hartland,” said McCluskey.
“So, as an ultra-runner myself, I thought it would be an inspiring challenge to attempt the ‘Furthest Distance Ran on a Covered Bridge’.”
He will start today, Friday, Aug. 14, at 7 p.m., and continue into Saturday, Aug. 15.
The bridge is 391 meters, meaning McCluskey will have to run around 320 laps to meet his goal.
As a trail runner, McCluskey anticipates that the hardest part of this challenge will be maintaining his mental stamina. Trail running comes with visual and environmental change with each stride. The bridge, on the other hand, is repetitive.
“I’m sure by the end of the run I’ll know exactly how many nails were used to make up this beautiful bridge,” said McCluskey.
The endurance athlete has been running his whole life, but got into ultra running about a year ago. His first race was a 24-hour endurance race around a duck pond, where he logged 110 km.
He also recently ran 300km without support across Prince Edward Island and has won trail races across Canada and the U.S.
McCluskey hopes to have a crowd come by to support him on his journey and celebrate the bridge’s anniversary with him.
“I would like to thank everyone who has involved themselves to make this dream become a reality. A year ago, I would have never expected to be in the position I’m in now, and thanks to great people, dreams have become a reality. Anything is possible if you believe in yourself,” said McCluskey.
