Patrick Sweeney shatters own world record
Manhattan Beach native Patrick Sweeney crosses the finish line at the Hermosa 24 ultramarathon, breaking his own Guinness World Record for Distance Running in the Sand for 24 Hours. Photo Patrick Sweeney took a gamble and it paid off big time. The prize was a Guinness World Record for Greatest Distance Running in the Sand for 24 Hours and Sweeney’s risk of taking a nap proved to be the right move. Competing in the third edition of the Hermosa 24 ultramarathon which ran from noon Saturday until noon Sunday, Sweeney broke the world record he set at the same event last year when he logged 87.36 miles while completing 26 laps on the 3.36-mile soft-sand course from the Hermosa Beach Pier to the Manhattan Beach Pier and back. For a year, Sweeney had mulled over his tactic for setting a new record, but in mid-race felt the need to alter his strategy. “I did not stay with my game plan at all,” Sweeney explained. “I had planned on going out slow and staying between 40-45 minutes per lap and I went out and did a bunch of 30-plus laps.” The 33-year-old distance runner from Manhattan Beach had scheduled a 10-20 minute break at midnight for some nourishment. He said he ate a few slices of…
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