Ryan Keeping, a Canadian ultrarunner from Halifax, has officially finished his record attempt on Iceland’s Ring Road. He circled the entire 1,390-kilometre route in 14 days, 13 hours, and 38 minutes, surpassing the previous record of close to 17 days, and completing an intense challenge many thought nearly impossible.
From Canada to Iceland
The Ring Road, or Route 1, is a national highway that encircles Iceland and connects most of the country’s major towns. It is the longest ring road in Europe.
The Ring Road was far from Keeping’s first long-haul run. Keeping previously ran across Canada—more than 7,000 kilometres in 99 days—and has competed in many ultras. He also coaches through his program, The Hybrid Runner. Even before Iceland, he says his work had been about pushing boundaries and helping others do the same.
He often cites Terry Fox as a driving influence. “One of the reasons why I decided to run across Canada was because of Terry Fox, and I want people everywhere to know who he is,” he told The Reykjavík Grapevine before the attempt.
What he set out to do
“I’m running the entire Ring Road—a full lap of Iceland. Over 1,300 km, averaging more than 100 km a day,” Keeping said before he began his trek. The current record is 16 days, 10 hours. I’m not here to just break it—I’m here to set it by multiple days.”
Keeping struggled with pain and injury throughout the epic journey. “Left foot doesn’t work, completely physically destroyed right now,” Keeping posted on Instagram with 250 km to go. “I will swing from my hips, doesn’t matter that my left foot isn’t working properly, I’ll use my right one, and I will do whatever it takes. If that means walking 24 hours a day for the next three days to finish it, so be it.”
Keeping achieved his goal, finishing the run looking strong. While he hasn’t announced his next challenge, fans will no doubt be eager to see where this long-haul endurance athlete heads next.