Brianna used traditional prone paddleboards for the water section of the circumnavigation. Photos: Courtesy Drew Darby and Matty Leong
On Saturday, January 10, Brianna Cope attempted something that had never been done, circumnavigating the island of Kauai, running 77 miles and paddling 15. Although some have walked the island over the course of multiple days, or even swam around it, Cope would be the first person to do it in one go.
Cope has been surfing her entire life. You may recognize her from shows like Surf Girls Hawaii, Ultimate Surfer, or her short film, Surfing to Cope. Cope is also a staple in the competitive circuit, regularly competing in Qualifying Series and Challenger Series events. Although Cope is no stranger to the ocean, running is a newer addition to the Kauai native’s life. Despite running being a more recent addition to her repertoire, Cope was eager to tackle big challenges, like circumnavigating her home island.
Cope began at Ke’e beach at 9 a.m., the farthest point north that is accessible by road. From there, she paddled the Na Pali coast section to Polihale, the farthest point west. Once she hit the beach, she set off on foot, ultimately returning to Ke’e at 1:30 p.m. the next day, totaling 29 hours of movement. We caught up with Cope a week after the epic feat.
When did you first start running seriously?
I got invited to an event four years ago called Hell on the Hill, which is just a straight uphill half marathon. I didn’t know too much about running, but I always say yes to things, and I had so much fun. It was actually my friend’s event and when I went, I had no idea if I’d like it and if I’d like running. But it changed my life. Running’s so cool because you can make it as hard as you want or as fun as you want.
What inspired you to attempt to circumnavigate Kauai?
It started as a joke. A year ago, I was talking to some of my best friends and I was like, ‘I want to run around the island.’ We all kind of laughed and I was like, ‘No I actually want to do it.’
What did your training look like leading up to the big day?
I dedicated six months of really hardcore training with my coach, Cat Bradley, who is a pro ultrarunner. It was the most I’ve ever trained for any running race. I’ve run a bunch of marathons and never trained too crazy. But this one was super intense, and it was really fun and a fun way to push myself. I’ve dedicated my whole life to surfing – it was a fun way to pivot and put my head down for something else. And it made me appreciate surfing so much more.
For example, on Saturday I would run 25 miles and on Sunday I would run 18 miles. I never went past 25 miles for one long run, but it was a lot of back-to-back running. And a lot of speed work, hill work, and just a lot of time on the feet. Training for an ultra, you run at a lower heart rate — you want your runs to be easy so you can get used to being on your feet.
Brianna with paddling partner Gabriela Bryan. Photos: Courtesy Drew Darby and Matty Leong
Did you do any cross training?
I did weights three times a week. But when you’re running with that much volume and also surfing every day and paddling, the gym was definitely one thing that wasn’t as big a priority. But I surfed every single day. When I went on surf trips or was traveling a lot, I was still running. When you travel, it’s easy to fall off your training program, but I was able to commit to it on my travels, which made me super stoked. I saw a lot of things that I probably never would have seen if I weren’t training for this run.
Did you train for the paddle portion?
I didn’t really train for the paddle. I paddled four times. It was just all from my surfing background, from paddling for the past 20 years. The paddle was actually super fun and mellow. I paddled with Gabriela Bryan, and we were just talking the whole time and really enjoying it. We weren’t really going for a time because I ran directly after, so the whole thing for the paddle was stopping every 30 minutes, taking a gel, drinking water, and eating watermelon. I had to set myself up really smart for the paddle to go into a 24-plus-hour run.
What was it like planning for the big day?
Originally, the race was supposed to be on a Sunday, but there was a huge winter swell coming. As a surfer, I should have known better, and I should have given myself a window of when I held this thing. But I thought Sunday 1/11 sounded like a great date, so I decided to do it then.
I got a call five days before about the huge swell. Usually, I’d be pumped and surf all day, but since it was a different kind of paddling and ocean sport, I had to move the event two days earlier, which was super stressful. There are a lot of things that go into planning and a lot of moving parts. And since it’s never been done before running-wise,I had no one to call and ask, we were just learning as we went.
What was your support system like along the way?
For the paddle, I had Gabi [Bryan] the whole way, which was super fun. For the run, one of my good friends, Mason, started me off, and then I had some miles by myself in the beginning. And then I had all my best friends with me for a good amount.
I was planning on running 30-plus-miles alone, but I was coming up with my pacer in the night, and one of my really good friends was standing on a hill, so she jumped in. She ended up running the furthest she ever had in her life. And then I had another friend who had only run three miles, and he ended up running 30. Everyone was just feeding off each other, which I thought was amazing. Pretty much every single person that jumped in with me hit their personal best, which is insane –it’s crazy what you can do when you quiet the mind and just go. The community really pushed each other, and for me, that was even cooler than the whole race.
Brianna got by with a little help from her friends. Photos: Courtesy Drew Darby and Matty Leong
Who were some of the pro surfers who joined you?
Bethany [Hamilton] came out, who is one of my best friends, and she showed up at such a crucial point. Her and Gabriel Bryan showed up at 5 a.m., which was amazing because I was starting to hit a wall. I’d been moving for 20-plus-hours and I was getting pretty tired. And Rochelle Ballard came out and she also ran a lot of miles.
To have the support of my best friends in surfing and my best friends in life, it was unreal. Every mile I shared with someone, we talked. It was cool to see two lives come together and have my friends run with me because I never thought I would get any of those women to run.
What was your fuel situation?
I was super on it with my fuel. I practiced on my long run what sat well with my body. I have done another ultra before, and I did not fuel properly — that’s what makes or breaks you. I did a gel every 30 minutes, and I was eating proper food every hour, a lot of bone broth. I had Salty Hydrate, which is my electrolyte company. I put it to the test, and I had a half scoop of that every 30 minutes and then a full scoop every hour and a half. Hydration’s the biggest thing because you’re sweating so much, so you need to make sure you’re staying hydrated to keep going.
What was the most difficult part?
We were getting into the North Shore and I thought I had 13 miles left, so I was starting to pick up the pace, and I was told that there were 17 miles left. Even though it was five miles, it was such a mental thing. But I had so many people keeping me in good spirits, and I honestly just had so much fun.
Can you describe the feeling coming into the finish?
It was really surreal. I think I cried for the last two miles because I had people jumping in. I had my sister, my family, and I was crying because I couldn’t believe that I did it. I had a lot of self-doubt, but we can do hard things if we put our minds to it.
How’s your recovery been?
I was walking and moving around the day after, and I surfed two days after. Honestly, my body felt really good; it’s just mentally pretty fatigued. And then the blisters on my toe hurt badly — I would say that’s the worst thing. I’ve been surfing the last few days and slowly getting after it, but definitely no running for one more week or so.
What’s next for you?
This one took a lot of time and training; I literally thought about it for about six months on and off. Right this second, I think I’m just going to go on some surf trips. I want to get some big waves, so that’s definitely a goal. But no crazy events as of right now, but that changes daily.
