This Runner Wants To Break The Icefields Parkway Speed Record

A British Columbia ultrarunner is preparing to run the entire 230-kilometre Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper in an attempt to break the route's fastest known time later this summer.

Harry Marshall, 28, who now lives in Whistler and is originally from England, hopes to complete the run in less than 31 hours and eight minutes, breaking the Icefields Parkway record set by Canmore ultrarunner Samuel Dickie in 2020.

The attempt, planned for late August, would require Marshall to maintain an average pace of just over eight minutes per kilometre for more than a full day as he travels across both stretches of Banff and Jasper national park.

Earlier this year, Marshall had planned to attempt a Canada-to-Mexico run beginning in Jasper. While researching the route, he heard from friends who had cycled the Icefields Parkway and praised its scenery. A recent road trip through the corridor convinced him it was a challenge worth pursuing.

"We were actually doing the Icefields as part of the road trip," said Marshall. "I was able to recce the route and see what's going to be in store."

Despite his ambitious goals, Marshall only started running five years ago after losing his brother to suicide and later his mother to heart complications.

"I was in a bit of a dark place trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life and so I was trying to find some direction," said Marshal.

To find that direction, he took up running and committed to covering at least five kilometres every day for a year, a challenge that took him across England, Australia and Canada. Along the way, he raised roughly $26,000 CAD for a mental health charity in his hometown established in memory of his brother and other young men who had died by suicide.

"That was my introduction to running," he said. "I'd never really ran before that."

What began as a fundraising challenge quickly evolved into a passion for ultrarunning. After completing his first marathon, Marshall steadily increased the scale of his goals, eventually taking on challenges ranging from 10 marathons in 10 days to a 200-kilometre mountain ultramarathon. The Icefields Parkway attempt would be the farthest distance he has ever run.

To prepare for the attempt, Marshall trains between eight and 14 hours a week and runs roughly 100 kilometres. 

In the lead-up to the Parkway attempt, Marshall has packed his calendar with races designed to prepare him for the 230-kilometre run. One of those events is a Backyard Ultra, a format where runners complete a 6.7-kilometre loop every hour until only one participant remains. Marshall hopes to remain on course for about 40 hours, covering approximately 250 kilometres.

The challenge extends far beyond fitness. To beat the current record, Marshall plans to run through the night, stopping only briefly to meet support vehicles every 10 to 15 kilometres for food, water and other supplies.

"I'm not really going to have time to rest or stop," he said.

The overnight sections present another obstacle: travelling through bear country after dark. Marshall said he plans to carry bear spray and may have support vehicles follow behind him through the darkest stretches of highway.

"We were driving on there and saw so many bears so, if you're on there for 30 hours, chances are you're probably going to run into some," said Marshall.

Despite concerns about wildlife, Marshall said the route's greatest challenge may be its sheer length.

"It is a long, long road. There's just so many stretches where it's just straight as far as the eye can see," he said.

Unlike many of the mountain ultramarathons he has completed, the Icefields Parkway attempt will take place almost entirely on pavement, creating a different kind of physical challenge.

"It's going to be very hard on the body, especially over that distance," said Marshall. "I've never done anything of that distance on road before."

Marshall said a core crew of four people from the Whistler area will support the attempt, while other runners and supporters are welcome to join him along the way.

"The more the merrier," he said. "Anyone's welcome to come and join in support if they're willing to give up the time to come and help me get over the line."