Days before the New York City Marathon, Jenny Hoffman, a physics professor at Harvard University, completed a more than 3,000-mile run from San Francisco to New York City.
Hoffman, 45, set out in September to Breaking the Guinness World Record for women For the fastest crossing of America on foot. The current record – set by Sandra Velence in 2017 – is 55 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes. On Thursday, Hoffman arrived at New York City Hall in 47 days, 12 hours and 35 minutes. She still has to submit her documents and have them authenticated by Guinness World Records before the record can become official.
“I still have to do the processing,” Huffman said as she walked to Coney Island Beach on Friday to see the Atlantic Ocean, accompanied by her children. “There are parts that still feel out of the body, like, ‘Who is this person who did this thing?’ Is it me?
Hoffman said she had always been fascinated by cross-country, and was inspired by both Velen and Kostelnik House Who holds the men’s record. She made the trip on foot instead of bike because of her running background.
Hoffman has been a competitive runner for more than 20 years. Although she has run many marathons, she excels at ultrarunning, which involves longer distances than a marathon. She has won the US National 24 Hour Track and Field Championships three times – in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Crossing the United States on foot seemed like the right next challenge. She had already attempted to cross the country in 2019, but had to stop 400 miles from her goal after tearing the meniscus in her right side.
Hoffman said a serious car accident involving one of her friends prompted her to try again. She said she thought to herself, “If I’m healthy and fit now and that’s my life’s goal, then I should do it when I can.”
So she and her team set out from San Francisco on September 16 and ran at least 60 miles every day to break the record. Crossed deserts, mountains, prairies, highways and other terrains. I ran primarily in silence except for 169 miles of desert road in Nevada, during which I listened to Des Linden’s memoir, Choosing to Run. Linden is the only American woman to win the Boston Marathon this century.
“People are very friendly, whether in red state or blue state, whatever their yard signs are, people have been good to me all the way across the country,” Hoffman said.
Zephyr Larson, her 14-year-old son, said he followed her He tracked down his mother As I ran. “It’s great to have an inspiring mother who teaches me that I can do anything I set my mind to,” he said.
Hoffman must now collect all the documents related to her race and submit them to Guinness; She said it could take a year to be ratified. Until then, she will be swimming and working out in preparation for her next race.
In December, she will compete in the International Federation of Ultrarunners’ World Championships 24 Hours in Taiwan. Ha The personal record for this race is 145.4 miles.
“I probably wouldn’t be able to match that because I’ve done so much work with that body,” she said with a laugh.
“Prone to fits of apathy. Introvert. Award-winning internet evangelist. Extreme beer expert.”