New Zealand ultrarunner Sophie Woods set a new record for the world's toughest endurance challenge, crossing 8 European countries in 29 days. She completed the Via Alpina, which involves traversing a vast European alpine region stretching east to west from Italy, through Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France and Monaco. Woods beat the previous record set by British runner Jake Catterall in 2024 by six days. Her journey began in Trieste, a port city in northeastern Italy, on July 4 and ended in Monaco on Saturday. Her husband and dog provided emotional support and food supplies along the way.