Backwards runner aims for world record

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A Burlington runner is putting her best foot backward in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record.

Kat Clewley is an avid runner and has successfully completed ten marathons, five ultramarathons and an Ironman triathlon. She says her latest challenge arose from a sluggish run with her pooch, Vanilla, “It was a hot day, kind of like today, and my dog slowed down after about a half an hour with her. And I turned around so I could keep an eye on her.” After ten minutes of jogging in reverse, Clewley was hooked. She set her sights on a backwards marathon.

Running forwards, Clewley averages about 3.5 hours per 40km marathon. When she attempts Hamilton’s Road to Hope in November, she expects to complete it in about 4.5 hours. And, according to Clewley, that would qualify her for a Guinness World Record, “They don’t even have a female record holder right now. They have a male record holder. So as far as Guiness has told me, if I finish under five hours, that I’ll be their first female backwards runner in the marathon distance.”

The Road to Hope is largely downhill. Clewley says, so far, her training runs have left her with a different kind of soreness but haven’t been any more grueling than forwards running. She’s able to push through the pain knowing the end goal of her race is about more than writing her name in the history books. She works as a program manager at the YMCA and is fundraising for its Beyond the Bell program that provides after school recreation and academic support for kids from low income families.

Please hyperlink Beyond the Bell to this website: http://ymcahbb.ca/Programs/Community-Initiatives/Beyond-the-Bell