Alberta-born ultrarunner completes Spartathlon in Greece — image accompanying Canadian Running's report. Image accompanying Canadian Running’s report; reduced and presented for news commentary with the attributed report. View the complete source report.
Kerri Kanuga, from Athabasca, Alberta, completed Greece’s Spartathlon, a 246-km race from Athens to Sparta. She finished in 35 hours, 24 minutes, and seven seconds, just under the 36-hour cutoff. Kanuga, who resides in the Cayman Islands, previously finished the race in 2023.
Kanuga aimed to become the first Canadian woman to finish Spartathlon. Despite stomach issues in 2024 and 2025, she succeeded this year. The race follows the route of ancient Greek messenger Pheidippides, with 75 checkpoints and individual cutoff times. Read more culture coverage.
Kanuga faced challenges, including inadequate nutrition, heavy rain, and lack of sleep. Despite these, she completed the race. She hopes her achievement inspires more Canadians to participate in Spartathlon. Kanuga also plans to compete in Brazil135 in January. Related: Andrea Marcato Wins Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race for Seventh Time.
This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Canadian Running. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.
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Kerri Kanuga finishes 246-km race, becoming first Canadian woman to do so Kerri Kanuga, from Athabasca, Alberta, completed Greece’s Spartathlon, a 246-km race from Athens to Sparta. She finished in 35 hours, 24 minutes, and seven seconds, just under the 36-hour cutoff. Kanuga, who resides in the Cayman Islands, previously finished the race in 2023.
When did Runner World publish this culture brief?
Runner World published this brief on October 20, 2026. The underlying Canadian Running report was dated October 19, 2026.
Where can readers find the complete original report?
This summary is based on reporting from Canadian Running. The attributed source link in the article leads to the publisher’s complete report.
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