13 hours faster than previous record - race through Bolivia's Uyuni salt flats
Brazilian ultramarathoner Fernanda Maciel set a new verified best time while crossing the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. She covered the 172.8-kilometer distance between the towns of Llica and Uyuni in 19 hours, 50 minutes, and 8 seconds, at an average speed of 8.7 km/h.
The record was officially verified by the Fastest Known Time platform. The previous best time on this crossing was set in 2023 by Brazilian Valmor Giuseppe Leonardo, whose result Maciel beat by 13 hours.
The test was complicated by the altitude of about 3,700 meters above sea level and the change in weather: a hailstorm turned dry salt into heavy mud, and after the hundredth kilometer, the runner was forced to continue moving against the backdrop of serious digestive problems.
Context
This ultramarathon became one of the runner's main successes after a serious injury suffered in 2021 in the French Calanques: while belaying a man 30 kilograms heavier on a climbing route, she was pushed against rocks, which caused a traumatic brain injury and a long period of neurological recovery.