When Matt Fortuna had to withdraw halfway through his first Fat Dog 120 Trail Race last August, it was the first time he had ever had failed to finish a running event of any kind.
This summer, the 35-year-old ultra marathoner from Oyama was determined to make amends.
鈥淚t hurt not to finish,鈥� Fortuna said of his result in the 2016 race. 鈥淚t was a hot day, I had issues with hydration and eating issues and it didn鈥檛 go well. I鈥檝e been part of the sport of trail running for a long time, so it wasn鈥檛 a lack of preparation.
鈥淚t just didn鈥檛 go anything like I had planned.鈥�
Motivated by last year鈥檚 disappointment, Fortuna not only completed the 2017 FatDog 120-mile run last weekend, he placed a strong third overall out of 105 finishers to win the bronze medal.
His running time of 29 hours 6 minutes from Cathedral Park to Manning Park also earned him the distinction of the race鈥檚 top Canadian.
Fortuna said the lessons learned from last year鈥檚 Fat Dog served him well the second time around.
鈥淚t was a different race for me, for sure,鈥� said Fortuna, who is a winemaker by profession. 鈥淚 learned a lot from last year. It was hot again and I just made slight changes to my hydration and nutrition. I鈥檝e never drank so many fluids in my life, about 30 litres, so this time I had it right.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about patience and reading your body. I went out really slow and then just built from there. My goal was just to finish, but it couldn鈥檛 have gone any better, it was a great day. It was sweet redemption, I guess you could say.鈥�
At 8,673 metres, the Fat Dog 120 (193 km) is just short of Everest for elevation gain and is widely considered as one of North America鈥檚 most challenging ultra marathons. Competitors are given a 48-hour limit to complete the race, which is run almost entirely through remote backcountry.
Fortuna began his trek at 10 a.m. last Saturday, and without a wink of sleep or any significant stops to rest, arrived at the finish line just after 3 p.m. on Sunday.
He leaned on the support of others to get him through the race including his pace runner, Aaron Heidt from Vernon, who ran the last 65 km with Fortuna.
Friends Tim and Stacey Parsons worked on Fortuna鈥檚 crew, meeting him at aid stations, refilling his supplies and providing moral encouragement.
Tim Parsons viewed his friend鈥檚 accomplishment鈥攁nd that of the other racers鈥攁s nothing short of remarkable.
鈥淚 was utterly blown away by the performance and determination of all the competitors,鈥� Parsons said. 鈥淲e watched as Matt got continually stronger and stronger as the race progressed, his final 30 miles was run faster than his first 30 miles, I think.
鈥淚t was truly inspirational, and a feat most people could never hope to achieve.鈥�
An avid long-distance trail runner for close to a decade, Fortuna had previously completed his share of 50-mile ultra runs as well as a pair of 100-mile events.
Now, with a successful 120-mile race under his belt, Fortuna has pushed his personal standard to a whole new level.
But based on his commitment and passion for the sport, and his love for the outdoors, it鈥檚 seems likely no challenge will be beyond Fortuna鈥檚 reach.
鈥淚 really enjoy the training and where I get to train,鈥� said Fortuna. 鈥淚 get to run in the mountains and love being in nature and being outdoors. They kind of go hand-in-hand for me.
鈥淚 spend my weekends in beautiful places and for me, there鈥檚 no feeling like trail running. I like to participate in the races and enjoy the social side of it, the feeling of community you get. It鈥檚 what I love to do.鈥�
For more on the Fat Dog 120 Trail Race, see
