{"id":146420,"date":"2025-09-04T16:32:24","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T20:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/?p=146420"},"modified":"2025-09-04T18:52:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T22:52:10","slug":"how-an-ontario-ultrarunner-battled-rain-grief-and-900km-to-reclaim-fkt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/trail-running\/how-an-ontario-ultrarunner-battled-rain-grief-and-900km-to-reclaim-fkt\/","title":{"rendered":"How an Ontario ultrarunner battled rain, grief and 900 km to reclaim FKT"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Jamieson Hatt<\/strong> set the inaugural unsupported Bruce Trail FKT (fastest known time) in 2022, he knew his benchmark wouldn\u2019t stand forever. His mark of 14 days, five hours and 20 minutes on the gruelling 900-kilometre trek from Tobermory to Queenston, Ont., was lowered a year and a half later by Canadian ultrarunner Cody Taylor<\/strong><\/a>, who shaved off five hours.<\/p>\n

Hatt was proud to see the record progress, but the idea of getting it back never fully left his mind. “There was a part of me that knew I could do a lot better,” Hatt told Canadian Running<\/em>. “My goal [in 2022] was just to finish.”<\/p>\n

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Photo courtesy of Jamieson Hatt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He planned a second attempt for early May 2025, but two days before his start date, his father, Ken<\/strong>, died suddenly. “It came as a shock\u2014I thought my dad was in perfect health,” says Hatt. “I knew I had to put the Bruce Trail away for a while and support my family.”<\/p>\n

In the weeks that followed, the 45-year-old stepped away from the sport. But with time, he realized what his dad would have wanted. “There\u2019s nothing he would\u2019ve wanted more than for me to be out there training and doing the thing I love to do,” Hatt reflects. “A few weeks later, after completing a backyard ultra, I knew what I had to do.”<\/p>\n

The second attempt<\/h2>\n

With Hatt’s window narrowing, he chose to take on the Bruce again in late August. “There are pros and cons to doing it this late,” he says. “The heat and vegetation are tough: lots of tall grass, morning dew, everything constantly soaked. But the upside was that I could pack light. My base weight was just 6.25 lb. (2.8 kg), and I didn\u2019t need much cold-weather gear.”<\/p>\n

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Hatt’s food and hydration for his 900-km trek along one of Ontario’s toughest trails. Photo: courtesy of Jamieson Hatt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When you’re running and hiking for more than a week, struggle is inevitable. On the second day, it drizzled nonstop, leaving Hatt’s feet soaked. “By the third night, I questioned if I\u2019d even be able to continue. I called my wife, and she told me, \u2018You never make a decision at night.\u2019”<\/p>\n

The next morning, he pushed forward, leaning on his simple mantra: keep showing up. “That was the turning point,” he says.<\/p>\n

Why you should plan a trip to Ontario’s Bruce Trail<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n