British ultrarunner Sophie Woods has spoken about her record-breaking crossing of the Alps, describing it as "an incredible experience" driven by a focus on adventure rather than just the record itself. She became the fastest person ever to complete the Via Alpina, a roughly 2,000km (1,242-mile) route through eight countries, beating both the men's and women's previous best times.

Woods finished the ultramarathon in 29 days, six days faster than the prior record of 35 days, despite battling storms, temperatures of up to 37C, and having to navigate around floods and wildfires en route. She told BBC Breakfast that she stayed focused only on the immediate moment throughout, "the day, the hour, the sort of minute", and credited ice cream slushies with helping to sustain her energy during the gruelling challenge.