About the West Coast Trail FKT
The West Coast Trail (WCT) is one of Canada’s most renowned coastal wilderness routes and a major benchmark for Vancouver Island endurance athletes. Covering roughly 75 km between Bamfield and Gordon River, the trail is famous for its technical coastal terrain, including tidal shelves, deep mud, boardwalks, ladders, cable cars, and long stretches of remote rainforest. Attempting the WCT as a Fastest Known Time effort requires advanced preparation, fitness, and an unwavering respect for the coastline’s power and unpredictability.
The trail can be completed in either direction, but most runners choose to go north to south to simplify ferry connections and transportation logistics. This direction also provides a natural flow into some of the toughest technical sections late in the effort, making pacing strategy and tide timing critical to success.
While the West Coast Trail stands strongly on its own, some ultra endurance athletes choose to push further by linking the WCT into the Juan de Fuca Trail, a more rugged and less maintained coastal system running between Port Renfrew and China Beach. This link-up is not common, attempted only by a small number of highly experienced Trail runners due to the added distance, isolation, and conditions.
Some truly committed folks even run the back-to-back West Coast Trail completing the full route in one direction and immediately returning the opposite way. This massive effort is attempted only by a handful of individuals, not only due to its physical difficulty but because of the significant permit logistics required to legally and safely complete a double traverse.
Weather, tides, slippery boardwalks, storm conditions, and rapid environmental changes all shape the difficulty of this route. Anyone attempting the WCT FKT must bring strong navigation, self-sufficiency, coastal movement skills, and a deep understanding of the terrain they’ll be moving through.
FKT Information
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North to South
The current north-to-south Fastest Known Time on the West Coast Trail is 9:32:32 by Matt Cecill and 11:34:15 Alicia Woodside, Tara Berry over approximately 40 km with around 2040m of elevation gain. This direction is the most commonly run due to easier ferry coordination and a smoother flow through the trail’s technical sections. A full GPX or activity record can be viewed here: GPX, Article Link
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South to North
The south-to-north FKT on the West Coast Trail stands at [MALE TIME] (male) and [FEMALE TIME] (female) across roughly [DISTANCE] km and [ELEVATION] m of vertical gain. This direction offers a different pacing strategy, with several of the most challenging features appearing early in the effort. Full tracking or GPX details can be found here: [LINK].
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The combined West Coast Trail → Juan de Fuca FKT
The combined West Coast Trail → Juan de Fuca FKT is recorded at 23:40:00 Gary Robbins and 1d 17h 40m Paige Morrow over a total distance of 122 km and approximately 5,755m of climbing. This link-up is an uncommon and demanding coastal endurance effort attempted only by a small number of experienced athletes. A GPX file
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West Coast Trail Double
The back-to-back West Coast Trail FKT is held at [MALE TIME] (male) and [FEMALE TIME] (female), covering approximately [DISTANCE] km with about [ELEVATION] m of elevation gain across two full traverses. This is one of the rarest coastal FKTs due to its extreme physical difficulty and the complex permit logistics required. GPX or activity data for the full double traverse can be viewed here: [LINK].
A Note on FKTs and Island Ethics
This page serves as a record of time, distance, and data, but the true value of these routes runs much deeper. Vancouver Island’s mountains, forests, rivers, and coastlines deserve our respect, care, and gratitude. The real beauty of an FKT effort comes not from pushing the pace, but from experiencing wild places with humility and intention.
Speed should never replace connection, and performance should never come at the cost of safety, stewardship, or enjoyment. Move fast if you choose, but move thoughtfully. Protect the terrain beneath your feet, honour the wildlife and ecosystems around you, and help ensure these special landscapes remain intact for future generations of athletes, explorers, and community members.