A quartet of Abbotsford long distance runners took on the Quarantine Backyard Ultra race on April 4, and while none of them managed to take home the coveted Golden Toilet Paper Roll, local athlete Kevin Barata finished tied for 15th overall and ran an impressive 34 hourly loops of 6.7 kilometres.
Barata was the second ranked Canadian in the unique event, which saw runners individually map out a 6.7 kilometre route or run that distance on their treadmill every hour on the hour. The event, which saw over 1,500 competitors race worldwide, continued until only one runner was left standing.
The race idea came about as a way for long distance runners to still have the chance to have fun and compete despite the many race cancellations and other event issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The winner of the coveted trophy was American Michael Wardian, who ran an incredible 63 loops spread out over more than 2.5 days. He edge out Czech Republic runner Radek Brunner, who ended his journey after 62 loops. Sweden’s Anna Carlsson was the top female competitor with 45 loops, and she finished third place overall.
Other Abbotsford runners in the event included: Ryan Shepard (22 laps), Jason Brown (nine laps) and Jamie Cross (eight laps).
For the complete results from the event, visit personalpeak.ca/quarantinebackyard/results.
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