Sprinting Across the Pyrenees: Unsupported, Alone, TNF Athlete Documents Her GR11 Run

Sprinting Across the Pyrenees: Unsupported, Alone, TNF Athlete Documents Her GR11 Run

At the age of 45, elite ultrarunner Fernanda Maciel decided to run Spain’s infamous GR11 trail — alone and unsupported. The route is more than 500 miles, and covers some of the most challenging terrain in the Pyrenees mountains. And Maciel filmed herself the entire way, documenting her journey and her struggles.

In the new short film from The North Face, TALA, Maciel runs the entire GR11 in just 12 days. Her self-filmed documentary doesn’t paint a glossy photo of her run, either. It’s gritty. It’s real. There are moments when Maciel cries and laughs, and moments when she collapses from exhaustion. Then she picks herself up and keeps running.

TALA is a roller coaster of emotions and an epic story about bravery, loneliness, and determination. Follow more of Maciel’s adventures and race exploits on her Instagram profile.

Runtime: 14:21

Thru-Hiking Culture Shock: Navigating Trail Differences Between the US and Europe

I've thru-hiked several long trails in the United States, but after 5 weeks on Spain's GR11 trail, I realized that there are some big differences between American and European thru-hiking cultures.   Read more…

Source: Sprinting Across the Pyrenees: Unsupported, Alone, TNF Athlete Documents Her GR11 Run