Update: Hill Ends Ultra Race

Aug 27, 2018 | 8:00 AM

After 12 grueling days of competition, Vernon’s Shanda Hill has crossed the finish line at the Deca Ultra Triathlon in Switzerland.

Hill is said to have completed the 422 kilometre run just before 9 am BC time.

The event started with a 38 km swim, followed by an 1,800 km cycle.

It took Hill 12 days to finish, getting brief sleeps in here and there.

She finished 9th overall out of 13, was the top female, and the only Canadian.

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“I want to thank Vernon for their support. I’ve received some incredible messages from people I don’t even know back home, and they were so excited when they saw that I had finished, and I didn’t even know they were following. I really appreciate the support of my hometown,” Hill told Beach Radio News in a phone interview shortly after her finish.

(Listen to the interview with Shanda Hill with Beach Radio’s Pete McIntyre)

The 36 year old Hill was about 10 hours behind her time last year, which she says was due to blisters on her feet caused by wet weather.

“I spent a little too much time working on those, so it is what it is. It’s learning, and I’m going to go in November to the Deca in New Orleans, and I’m going to better my time there.”

Hill says aside from her feet, her body feels great.

“I ran my very last lap — most of the laps, the athletes are averaging 12 or 13 minutes — and I ran my last lap in 6 minutes and 3 second, so I gave everything out there.”

Hill says when she hit the finish line, she felt relieved.

“You’ve put in all this time, and finally this is the end of it, so you’ve reached your goal.”

by Corey Fischer