Female Athlete Sets New Mountain Running Record

Ida-Sophie Hegemann has become the first woman to conquer the entire distance of the Karwendel Höhenweg in Austria in a single push, setting a new Female FKT record in the process with a time of 10 hours and 42 minutes. In the new The North Face short film “Karwendel” we follow the awe-inspiring athlete as she pushes herself beyond limits, tackling some of the rockiest terrain in the Alps in an attempt to encourage other women to follow her trace.

Running across the natural border between Germany and Austria, symbolizing her motherland on one side and current home on the other, Ida-Sophie became the fastest woman completing the High-Altitude Trail with 65.5 kilometres and more than 5,000 meters of elevation, making history once again. A true passion project for the German athlete on her daily training ground, with big symbolic meaning.

With sweeping views over Innsbruck and never-ending panoramas of rugged mountain peaks, the Karwendel Höhenweg is a very exposed and technically demanding alpine route which is normally completed in 6 days by experienced hikers. With her FKT Ida-Sophie achieved another milestone in her trail running career. Over the past years, she already won a sweep of major Alpine races, including the Transalpine Run, the Mont Blanc Marathon and the Innsbruck Alpine Race.

Mental strength and resilience were key in this project. As Ida battles unfavourable weather conditions and tricky terrains, Ida is reminded of the essentials in trail running: being alone in nature, pushing your limits. The story sums up the technical skill and sheer determination needed to complete the challenge. A testimony of her battle to stay focused, strong and believing in herself.

The North Face athlete and FKT record holder Ida-Sophie Hegemann adds: “I like running Fastest Known Times as the first woman, to encourage other women to run these routes as well. And sometimes, I manage to run faster than the men.”

During her run, Ida alternated between The North Face Summit VECTIV Pro 2 and a prototype of the new The North Face OFFTRAIL shoes that will launch this fall, giving her the speed, stability and energy output needed on the technical terrain.