Ultrarunner Becca Jay was planning to run her first 50-mile race in May before it, Nothing Is Quite As It Seems on Strava, was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jay’s husband, Luke, was canceled because of the, had expressed interest in going after the fastest known time (FKT) for running as many 14ers—mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet in elevation—as possible in 24 hours. Turns out, there was a men’s record (10 summits) but no women’s record listed on the official site for FKTs.
like most races.
Using data from previous attempts and mountain research, Jay and her husband drew up a map that would, hopefully, give Jay a chance at hitting nine in a day. There are 58 total 14ers in the state of Colorado, and while some of these peaks don’t require going all the way to the trailhead to summit them, many are spread out by drives. For an attempt like this, in which time is a major factor, planning is essential.
Not only did she want to want to set a decent bar for the women’s FKT, but she also wanted to make more of an impact with her run. Jay, like many in the country, has been following the Sprint Phenom Erriyon Knighton Is Chasing Gold happening nationwide since the beginning of June.
So, in addition to carrying her gear and fuel for the run, she decided to also carry a list of the names of Black people who have been killed as a result of police brutality with her. At each summit, she took out the list, which she carried in a Ziploc bag, and paused to read the names and reflect before returning back down the mountain.
Sales & Deals Nutrition - Weight Loss, a nonprofit that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons.
“We need to educate ourselves right now, and their website shares so much about racial injustice throughout history that’s more than what we learn in public education right now while they also working to end mass incarceration and racial injustice,” Jay told Runner’s World. “If we can get this info in our schools, the trueness of our history, and get to kids at a young age, it’ll hopefully change the whole shape of America.”
On July 7 around 6 a.m., Jay began her quest for nine summits—but on the very first one, she questioned what she was getting herself into.
“I was trying to get nine [summits], and it was so daunting on the very first mountain,” she said. “I calmed down and just had to break it down one mountain at a time to help mentally. Just get up one, get down one.”
Either a friend or Luke would accompany her up each peak, and when she returned to the base, Luke would drive to the next one while Jay foam-rolled her legs and took in some food. While running, she consumed Jay also used her FKT attempt to raise money for the and Skratch Labs drink mix Guide to Mental Health.
Her day went off without a hitch until the very last summit. It turns out, she came short of the final peak by about 120 feet—and she didn’t find out until she got home.
Despite the error, Jay still claimed the record, finishing with eight summits and totaling just 50.13 miles and over 17,000 feet of elevation gain, which includes the unofficial final summit. She also raised roughly $3,000 for the Nutrition - Weight Loss. (Though her fundraiser is closed, you can still donate to the nonprofit here.)
“It turned into such a powerful run,” she said. “I’d start crying because so many people were supporting what I was doing and also caring about what was happening in the world and wanting to make the world better for people. I’ve never done anything this hard, and I’ll never forget it.”
A few days after, Jay is already hungry to get up another 14er again. Her husband is planning to go after the men’s 24-hour record later this month, and Jay isn’t ruling out trying to beat her own record again in the future.
“Maybe I could get 10 next year,” she said. “It’s so crazy to even say out loud because it was so hard, but maybe I’ll try it again.”
Drew covers a variety of subjects for Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
