HOUGHTON — Isle Royale National Park, one of the nation’s most remote and rugged destinations, was the stage for a historic athletic achievement this month. Kristen Monahan, assistant Nordic ski coach at Michigan Technological University, set the fastest known time ever recorded by a woman on the park’s iconic Greenstone Ridge Trail. Monahan completed the 40.6-mile traverse in 8 hours and 4 minutes, shattering the previous women’s record by nearly three hours.

She was joined by her partner and fellow MTU Nordic ski coach, Thomas Smith, who ran the second-fastest men’s time ever recorded on the trail. Together, the pair completed the self-supported endurance feat while carrying their own supplies, filtering water on the route, and navigating Isle Royale’s wild backcountry.

“This was more

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