FKT Podcast

This week Jamieson Hatt joins host Heather Anderson to talk about his experience setting the longest known distance unsupported FKT on Wisconsin’s 1,100-plus-mile Ice Age Trail. Tune in to hear about the unique challenges of an unsupported effort of this length and how he dealt with inclement weather, technology issues, an unexpected zero day, and a problematic injury with only five days left. You’ll be inspired by his stories and how his motto of “keep surviving” carried him through.

Extending from Blue Ridge, Georgia, to near Sylacauga, Alabama, the 335-mile Pinhoti Trail is a popular route through the southernmost portion of the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States. This week’s episode, hosted by Heather Anderson, delves into Ashlie Itherburn’s recent overall supported FKT on the route. Ashlie shares her highs and lows, which were often linked, as she raced storms, dealt with aggressive dogs, and got turned around in the Duggar Wilderness. Tune in to hear more about her incredible FKT debut completing the trail in 5 days, 6 hours, and 39 minutes.

In this week’s episode we’re traveling to the rugged Mahoosic mountains of southern Maine, home of the hardest mile on the AT. Host Heather Anderson talks with Jeff Colt who recently set the overall unsupported time on the Northeast’s “Hardest 50K” completing the route in 6 hours, 40 minutes, and 53 seconds—taking an hour off of the previous men’s time. Tune in to hear how his background as an AMC “Hut Kid” and his connection to the history of this route inspired him to take it on.

The 272-mile Long Trail is one of our premier routes for good reason. With an impressive history of competitive FKTs, this trail has once again seen stout records fall. Tune in to join host Heather Anderson as she talks all things LT with Tara Dower, who set the overall and women’s supported time in 3 days, 18 hours, and 30 minutes, and Tori Constantine who took down the women’s unsupported time in 5 days, 19 hours, and 29 minutes. They share their stories of sleep deprivation and accompanying hallucinations, their hard-earned lessons, as well as what they’d do differently.

This week we’re headed to the rugged Adirondacks of New York where Scott Benerofe recently set the unsupported FKT for tagging all 46 4,000-foot peaks in one go. Tune in to hear how he pulled together his experiences with trail running, thru-hiking, and peakbagging to push deeper into the realm of endurance adventure. He shares the highs and lows of the effort from the effects of wildfire smoke, to how he wanted to quit so badly that he was hoping for a minor injury, to his gratitude for a beautiful sunset in the Great Range and humorous sleep deprivation issues.

Stretching from Washington to California along the Pacific Ocean, the 400+ mile long Oregon Coast Trail is a mix of road, beach, and forested trail that challenges travelers with tides, estuaries, and frequent bad weather. Join host Heather Anderson this week as she chats with Katie Gunvalson who recently smashed the women’s overall record with her self-supported time of 7 days, 19 hours, and 41 minutes–two hours faster than the women’s supported time–despite logging over 20 additional miles. Katie shares her experiences with timing the tides, battling bad weather at the crux of the route, sleep deprivation, and how this record reset what she thought she was capable of.

Bears, sheepdogs and snakes…oh my!When you think of Armenia, you probably don’t think of a wild long distance mountain trail. However, today’s guest, Katya Guryeva, shares stories from her 21 day supported FKT on the country’s 820 kilometers of the Transcaucasian Trail. Over the course of the record, Katya encountered a wide variety of challenges from weather and navigation, to wildlife and remoteness. Tune in to hear how she handled language barriers, planned around political security issues, and embraced the beauty of this seldom hiked trail.