Starting Wednesday, reports the Toronto Sun, ultrarunner Alicja Barahona will attempt a 240-mile round-trip haul between Inuvik, north of the Arctic Circle, and Tuktoyaktuk on the shore of the Arctic Ocean on the ice road that is the frozen McKenzie river in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Made well-known for the truck travel there when the History Channel series Ice Road Truckers filmed its second season there, the McKenzie River ice road is perhaps as treacherous as they come for heavy trucks, but at least they’re heated. Barahona will do the road on foot, and alone. She running to raise awareness for the needs of homeless people.
She starts her run on Wed., April 6. Keep apprised of her progress via her site, or click the image above for a blog created especially for updates from the run (nothing there yet, fyi).
And speaking of running — I had the opportunity to catch up with Marathon Trucker columnist Jeff Clark last Wednesday evening, when he and his wife, Roxanne, stopped off in Nashville for the night on their way to Louisville for the health walk and other activities at MATS. If you missed Clark’s note about the walk on his blog at truckersnews.com, give it a read. It’s a nice reminder of who exactly such events are ultimately about, in this case those giving it a go and getting out there and doing the walking, American drivers and their supporters. I’m look forward to many such driver-led events going forward.