© Sunny Stroeer
Unless you’re embedded in the world of high altitude running, climbing and mountaineering, Sunny Stroeer might not be a name you recognise. The German-born endurance athlete and adventurer has somehow flown under the radar despite setting some incredible endurance records. Although she’s previously raced (and won) 100km and 100-mile events, Sunny’s speciality is solo and unsupported high altitude FKTs – fastest known time records.
Sunny’s speed records include two separate ascents of Aconcagua – the second highest of the seven summits – one via the ‘normal’ route and the other via the 360 route, a 64-mile journey with 17,000ft of elevation gain which takes trekkers 15-18 days. Sunny completed it in under 48 hours.
She also holds records for Nepal’s 136-mile Annapurna Circuit and China’s 100km+ high altitude TransQilian route, which takes place at an altitude of 10,500ft and includes around 50,000ft of elevation change. Sunny ran it in 20 hours 59 minutes, beating the men’s record by four hours.
A Harvard Business School graduate, Sunny previously worked 80-hour weeks in a high-flying corporate career before quitting in 2015 to follow her passion for climbing and adventure. She now lives out of a converted van with her husband in the US and also runs a mountaineering guiding and high altitude adventure company for women, AWExpeditions. Have a read of our email Q&A to find out more about her backstory and incredible achievements.
