Isle Royale, MI - A Michigan Tech coach has set a new record for running across Isle Royale.
This month, assistant Nordic ski coach Kristen Monahan set the fastest known time ever recorded by a woman on the park’s Greenstone Ridge Trail. Monahan completed the 40.6-mile traverse in 8 hours, 4 minutes, shattering the previous women’s record by nearly three hours.
She was joined by her partner and fellow MTU Nordic ski coach Thomas Smith, who ran the second-fastest men’s time ever recorded on the trail. Together, the pair completed the self-supported endurance feat while carrying their own supplies, filtering water on the route, and navigating Isle Royale’s wild backcountry.
Their accomplishment has been submitted to Fastest Known Time, the global tracking authority for endurance records, for official recognition.
Previous women’s record-holder Alice Held set the benchmark at 11 hours, 2 minutes in 2021.
Michigan Tech coach sets new record for running across Isle Royale
