Endurance runner Robbie Balenger has set a new record, running over 98 miles around the loop in Central Park, which equates to 16 laps. It took him slightly over 18 hours.
He know holds the record for the FKT (“fastest known time“) for the Central Park Loop Challenge, which he set between March 20 and March 21 (though the headlines just broke in the last couple days).
The previous record was 11 laps (67 miles) in 14 hours.
In Robbie’s report, he wrote:
“On March 20th, I set out to break the FKT for the Central Park Loop Challenge, fully supported.
“I started running at 06:05am from Tavern on the Green, where I set up my crew and aid station. I proceeded to run 16 loops on the standard route, in a counterclockwise direction. Various friends joined me for some loops as pacers. I received aid after the completion of each loop.
“Weather was perfect, highs in the upper 50’s, lows in the mid-30’s. Sun was out, and the people watching was fantastic.
“I completed Loop 16 at 12:12am on March 21st, with a total mileage of 98.49 miles in 18 hrs 7 mins and 43 seconds.”
Balenger last made headlines when he ran 3,175 miles across the United States in 75 days. “The point of it was to create conversations about better food choices, and promote the efficacy of a plant-based diet,” he says.
