FKT Podcast

On today’s episode, host Heather Anderson is joined by François D'Haene, who recently brought the record for Corsica’s iconic GR20 route under 30 hours for the first time. François shares his personal history with the 160-km trail, including his prior FKT set in 2016 and the lessons learned on that run that helped him set this new record. He talks about his training and shares the challenges of setting this FKT, from technical rocks, heat, and battling a hot wind to the stress of questioning his pace until the very end. François also shares his thoughts on balancing rest with effort and the importance of including friends and family into yearly adventures.

Spanning 2,000 kilometers across eight European countries, the Via Alpina is a highly varied, challenging mountain route through the Alps. Today’s guest, Sophie Woods, just smashed the overall supported FKT by running the trail in just 28 days, 17 hours, and 59 minutes. She talks with host Heather Anderson about the challenges of this unique route, including technical trails, logistics of overnighting, and navigation. She also shares how the multiple heatwaves impacted her run and how she dealt with a wildfire closure along the way. Tune in to be inspired!

This week, host Heather Anderson is joined by Nathan Frantz who shares the literal and figurative ups and downs of setting the supported FKT for the Carolinas’ Foothills Trail, but running the 74-mile trail out and back in two days, one hour, and 35 minutes. Nathan shares the challenges of the journey but also his powerful why and how running for those who can’t helped him keep going.

On today’s episode we’re traveling to the Lake District of England with Katharina Hartmuth who set a new Bob Graham Round FKT. She joins host Heather Anderson to talk about her experience with running this iconic 100K route in 14 hours and 11 minutes. She also shares how attempting something different helps her maintain motivation as well as how the required aspect of community involvement became such a fulfilling element of her run.

Today host Heather Anderson is joined by Aurélien Sanchez, who recently set a new overall supported FKT on the Pacific Crest Trail, running the 2600-plus miles in just 45 days and 20 hours. Tune in to be inspired by his ability to overcome injury, setbacks, demoralizing trail conditions, and a trip to the emergency room while having the “adventure of a lifetime.” He also shares how his desire to share the experience with his girlfriend and her cousin fueled him through his lowest moments.

On today’s episode we’re traveling to New York where Kumi Redpath set the overall supported time in 7 days, 7 hours, and 59 minutes on the Long Path, which runs 358 miles from upstate to Manhattan. She shares her stories of combining a birthday celebration with a fundraising run home through technical terrain and bad weather. Tune in and be inspired by her perseverance and adaptation despite injury during the hardest section and her emotional finish surrounded by friends.

In central Arizona, the 60-plus-mile Highline Trail contours just below the Mogollon Rim. In this week’s episode, host Heather Anderson is joined by Patrick Kavanagh and Ross Kiewiet who set the unsupported team FKT on the route in 13 hours and 36 minutes. Patrick and Ross share the ins and outs of running this hidden gem including their tips for exploring it on your own.

On this week’s episode Monica Monroe joins host Heather Anderson  to talk about her unsupported FKT on the 200-plus mile long Ouachita Trail. Monica shares how she went from section hiking the route as a novice hiker in 2021 to setting the first women’s unsupported time in 2026. Despite severe weather, fires, and more, she established a stout time…all because of a local Kansas running group’s ice cream run. Tune in to hear more.

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.

On today’s show, host Heather Anderson is chatting with high altitude FKTer Erin Ton about her recent FKT ascents of multiple South American mountains, including the highest mountain in the Americas, Aconcagua. Tune in to learn more about how she trains, what motivates her, and why and how she takes these on.

The 600-mile-plus Bibbulmun Track is one of Australia’s classic long-distance hiking routes. Traversing beaches and forests in the southwestern part of the country, it’s laden with challenges. This week’s guest, Cam Bostock, completed the Bibbulmun unsupported in just 14 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes. Tune in to hear him tell host Heather Anderson all about his experiences with sleep deprivation, wildlife, weather and the temptation of town.

Today we’re traveling to the Canary Islands off the coast of Morocco. Host Heather Anderson is joined by Jana Palocna who recently set the unsupported FKT for the 41K Pico de las Nieves route. Jana shares the details of her last-minute decision to run from sea to summit on the south side of the island while on vacation despite having an undiagnosed broken shoulder.

This week we’re going off the beaten path in the White Mountains National Forest where Eli Burakian created a burly 77 mile-long route that has 27,000 feet of climbing and tops 10 of the 4,000 footers. He joins host Heather Anderson to talk about rocks, route finding, and his belief that FKTs are for everyone. He also shares tips for those interested in exploring this route and how night hiking with horror books keeps him going.

On today’s episode, host Heather Anderson is joined by Lotti Brinks, who recently set the overall FKT for a Utah classic: the Zion Crossing. This 37-mile version of the now-closed Zion Traverse travels through highly varied terrain from sandy trail to creekbeds and muddy plateaus. Lotti shares her experiences with early season conditions, lucky weather windows, and how her supported effort became a series of missed connections and bonus miles.

On today’s episode we’re traveling to the jungle of Papua New Guinea where Justin Jennings, Huw Rogers, Si Lewis, Darren Roberts, and Jamie Porter traversed the 200-kilometer Kokoda Track out-and back in a supported style with the local guides of TruWarrior. Host Heather Anderson is joined by two members of the team: Huw and Justin. They share the logistics of planning the unheard of feat of completing the Kokoda out-and-back in the time it takes most people to travel one way. They also talk about their history of endurance projects as fundraisers for Brecon Mountain Rescue and how this historic trail came to be on their radar. Tune in to learn about how they pushed through humidity, 1940’s trail conditions, trench foot, and more to achieve their goal.

On today’s episode, host Heather Anderson is joined by nonprofit entrepreneur Greg Nance. Greg shares his methodology and experiences pioneering FKTs around the world, including Cuba, Grenada, and Colombia. He also describes what it was like to become the first person to run to the summit of Mount Rainier from the Puget Sound. Greg shares his love of nature and why he feels so connected to the FKT community as well as tips for establishing new routes wherever you go.

Today we travel to one of the most iconic mountains in Europe with our 2025 third place FKT of the year athlete, William Boffelli who completed the round trip from Chamonix to the summit with skis in a blisteringly fast 4 hours and 43 minutes. Tune in as William shares his training, gear, and route choices with host Heather Anderson.

This week we’re heading all the way south to New Zealand's famous Te Araroa Trail where Paulina Zack set a new women’s self-supported time of 54 days 9 hours and 48 minutes—earning her 3rd place in our 2025 FKT of the Year countdown. Drop in and join host Heather Anderson in learning all about Paulina’s experiences with navigation, biting spiders, solitude, and joy on her journey across the island nation while setting her first FKT.

Tune in to this week’s episode as we travel to Colorado and one of our Premier Routes. Host Heather Anderson talks with David Hedges about his impressive Nolan’s 14 supported FKT, which placed 5th in our 2025 FKT of the Year rankings. David talks about what set this FKT apart from his previous Nolan's 14 FKT in 2023 as well as whether he’d try again in the future. Drop in and hear about his struggles with hypothermia conditions, ice, snow, and wind while still shaving 4 hours off his previous time.

In this week’s episode, join host Heather Anderson as she chats with our women’s fifth place FKT of 2025, Lucy Gossage. Lucy set a stout new self-supported time on the U.K.’s 630-mile South West Coast Path by completing it in 11 days and 9 hours. Tune in to hear how she handled the challenging logistics of a route that has over a dozen ferries to catch, nightly hotel reservations to make, and tides to time correctly while tackling 40,000 meters of elevation gain in often rainy and sometimes windy conditions.

This year was a highly competitive year with stout efforts on trails across the world. For the first time, the majority of our top five were on routes outside the United States. For the second year in a row, Tara Dower has claimed our first place title for her Long Trail FKT in Vermont where she set the overall supported time. Our men’s winner is Jeff Garmire for his incredible Appalachian Trail self-supported FKT. Tune in to this week's episode to hear Tara and Jeff discuss their recovery, goals, and the sport with host Heather Anderson.

Today we’re traveling to remote Maine where the classic Hundred Mile Wilderness route stretches from Monson to Abol Bridge. Host Heather Anderson chats with Maia Buckingham and Xander Keiter who each set supported times on this route. Maia’s time was 1d 5hr 33 m and Xander broke the 24 hour barrier coming in at 23 hours 9 min. Tune in to hear how they handled the logistics of crew access on remote logging roads, what led them to return to this particular trail, and the highs and lows of their experience.

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 host Heather Anderson is joined by Michael Brower to talk about his experience setting the overall FKT for Michigan’s 220-mile-long Shore-to-Shore Trail. Michael details his experiences with ticks and sand and how he handled encountering unexpected restrictions around an active military base, as well as a scary cabin in the woods at night. Tune in to learn more about this lesser-known route.

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.

In this week’s episode, host Heather Anderson talks with Brittany Haver and Carrie Henderson, who each set FKTs on Arizona’s rugged Tonto Trail. Carrie established the initial supported female time in 1 day, 9 hours, 20 minutes, while Brittany logged the first female unsupported time in 1 day, 9 hours, and 58 minutes. Tune in to journey along this lesser-done trail in the Grand Canyon and hear about the unique challenges this desert route presents, including why finding water in the notoriously rugged Gems segment is so crucial to success.

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 head to the well-trodden premier route across Arizona. Host Heather Anderson is joined by Sadie Curry who set the women’s self-supported northbound time on the iconic Arizona Trail by covering the 800 mile distance in 17 days, 12 hours, and 27 minutes, taking 7 hours off of the previous time. Tune in to hear how she accomplished her first FKT despite being sick, dealing with UV rash, and developing severe tendonitis.

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.

2025 was a stunningly busy year on the Appalachian Trail. There were many high profile FKT efforts and several DNFs in the final days. Three long-held records did fall, however. Sarah Baker set the women’s self-supported northbound time in 74:04:42. Lyla Harrod set the women’s southbound time in 52:18:37. And Jeff Garmire took down the men’s self-supported record in a time of 45:08:37. Tune in to learn more about these notable feats and the highs and lows of their experiences.

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.

On today’s episode we’re traveling to the High Sierra of California where Caroline Himbert recently set the women’s unsupported northbound record on the premier John Muir Trail. Her first long, unsupported effort was a way for her to go back to her roots as a long distance hiker. Along the way she dealt with excruciating foot pain, a knee injury, and the effects of sleep deprivation. Tune in to hear how she almost missed the record when her hallucinations led her off trail, her “brain said goodbye” and she fell asleep for over 4 hours, just miles from the finish and why she ended up in Urgent Care after it was all over.

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.

This week we’re heading to the Show Me state where Tim Beissinger set the unsupported FKT on the 230 mile long Ozark Trail in a time of 4 days, 9 hours, and 24 minutes. Tune in as he and host Heather Anderson discuss methods and motivations for this former triathlete as he pushed his limits to set his first fastest known time. Tim accomplished the new record while coping with trench foot and significant pain as well as rainy weather and little sleep. He shares his encounters with wildlife, including dozens of ticks, and lack of encounters with people along the way. They also discuss the challenges of water crossings including the flooding of Courtois Creek. Drop in and take a walk on Missouri’s wild side.

In today’s episode, Chris Roberts shows us what it takes to run the longest rail trail in the United States in just 1 day 21 hours and 37 minutes. Missouri’s Katy Trail stretches 238 miles almost the entire east-west distance across the state. Chris shares how his mom joined in on bike for her first ever multi-day, no sleep adventure and how his trip prep combined with sleep deprivation led to a strange deja vu mindset in the waning hours.

Join host Heather Anderson as she talks all things Grand Canyon with Allison Baca on this week’s episode. Allison recently set the women’s unsupported FKT for the Rim to Rim to Rim route at the Grand Canyon, covering the 44 mile double crossing in just a tad over 7 hours and 31 minutes. They talk specifics of gear, fueling, and fluids as well as navigation and training prep. Allison also shares her love of the canyon, the most beautiful moment of the effort and how she and her husband balance parenthood, life, and adventure.

The tiny European country of Andorra, with a population of about 80,000 people, is home to a wide array of mountains. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Pau Capell about his experiences as a Spanish mountain runner who relocated to the Ordino region. He shares the ins and outs of the technical Estripagecs route around the Ordino Valley where he set an unsupported FKT for the approximately 50km route. He covered the distance and over 4,000 meters of elevation gain in a blistering 8 hours and 34 minutes–just in time to meet his parents for lunch! Join host Heather Anderson as they discuss how mountain projects require heart and not just legs.

Today we’re traveling to possibly the most remote mountain range in the 48 contiguous US states–Wyoming’s Wind River Range. These rugged mountains have more bighorns than people and yet our guest Kelly Halpin finds great joy in traversing them solo and unsupported. Join host Heather Anderson in this week’s episode and learn what drove Kelly to return to this route and break her own FKT–set in 2020–by six hours. She shares what she did differently, what went well, and her tips for preparing for safe, enjoyable mountain travel.  Drop in and be inspired to add this 100 mile route to your bucket list!

What does the infinity symbol have to do with FKTs?  Well, if you’re in the state of Washington it’s indicative of one of the most challenging mountain routes in the state–Mount Rainier’s Infinity Loop. Join host Heather Anderson and guest Gian Dalle to hear about his adventure that combines summiting the iconic volcano twice and completing the 90+ mile Wonderland Trail that circumnavigates the mountain.  Tune in to today’s episode and learn about what goes into a technical glacier climb plus long trail run, how major route issues almost ended the attempt before it began, and how being a firefighter enables Gian to get out and explore more.

Near the Norwegian border, mostly above the Arctic Circle, lies Sweden’s mountainous Kungsleden Trail. Tune in to today’s episode where host Heather Anderson chats with prolific FKT setter Liz Derstine about her recent self-supported effort on this iconic trail. She shares the logistical challenges of completing a 480-kilometer trail in just over six days while contending with seven lake crossings–including two that required rowing herself across. She also recounts her experiences with autumn weather, wild reindeer, and pushing herself into new personal terrain. Find out more about how she maintained a go with the flow attitude while setting an FKT and what inspired her to take on this challenge.

This week we travel to New Zealand to catch up with the world’s fastest dentist, Karel Sabbe. In early 2025 he smashed the supported record on the iconic Te Araroa Trail by taking over 17 days off of the previous time on the 3,000 kilometer route. Tune in as Karel and host Heather Anderson talk about beach running, wild dogs, fording rivers, and more on this incredible adventure.

The Munro Round is a classic peakbagging list in Scotland with a strong history of FKT attempts. In today’s episode, we’re catching up with Jamie Aarons to hear all about her self-powered journey to all 282 summits in just 31 days!Join host Heather Anderson and learn from Jamie about Scotland’s unique public access to the land policy, as well as the complexities of cycling 1300 kilometers in addition to paddling to connect the peaks. Be inspired by the way the community came together to support her effort, and the ripples of support still going through the volunteer group long after the FKT is over.

This week we’re heading to Massachusetts and Connecticut with Marc Kelly to learn the ins and outs of the New England National Scenic Trail. This hidden gem runs 215 miles through the rooty, rocky, hills of southern New England. The NET is known for its challenging river crossings, access to towns, and limited camping options. Join Marc and host Heather Anderson in today’s inspiring episode where Marc shares the highs and lows of tackling his first multi-night FKT with his buddy Tyler–a plan hatched after a few too many beers–while learning new things about how his body responds to longer efforts and how the bonds of friendship and family can drive you forward.

Today’s episode takes us to the highest mountain in Japan via a lesser-used route. Join host Heather Anderson as she chats with Simon Pfreundschuh about his self-supported FKT on Mount Fuji. He talks about how this route with 12,000 vertical feet ascent (and descent) became his first FKT, as well as the ways the Paul Deckret route surprised him. He also offers his tips for planning an FKT while traveling and shares the things he would have done differently.

Tune into today’s episode to hear Bob Stewart chat with host Heather Anderson about his experiences on Pennsylvania’s numerous state trails where he has set many FKTs. They dive into the particulars of his unsupported FKT on the notoriously difficult and remote Tuscarora Trail as well as why Bob enjoys the modality of unsupported more than other categories. Dive in and hear all about rocks, reroutes, and testing out homemade gear on a long FKT attempt. Bob also shares his tips for balancing work, family life, and FKTs.

Our podcast takes us to the Ouachita region of Arkansas today where Christine Reed joins host Heather Anderson and shares the story of setting her first FKTs despite several years of attempts. Learn what it’s like to train and compete with dysautonomia (POTS) and how that has impacted Christine’s journey. She also talks about her experiences with orb weaver spiders, a wildfire, dehydration and more on her way to her first FKT.

Recently, Fastest Known Time has approved new guidelines for para-athletes. Athletes who have any “Eligible Impairment” listed by the International Paralympic Committee may submit an FKT by checking the “Para athlete” checkbox on the FKT submission form. Our first para athlete is Shawn Cheshire, a fully blind athlete. Join host Heather Anderson as she talks with her about Shawn’s fully unsupported, unguided crossing of Arizona’s Grand Canyon. Shawn talks about the challenges of navigation as well as her encounters with trail users. She also shares how losing her sight at age 36 forced her to redefine herself and how she did so as an athlete—cycling for Team USA, cycling across the US, attempting Everest, and now setting an FKT. Drop into today’s episode to be inspired by Shawn.

The desert is a unique environment full of extremes. These can lead to high stakes during long adventures. Throw in some canyons and waterfalls and you’ve got the makings and an epic adventure. Tune into today’s show and hear how Nadja Heine set an FKT in Capitol Reef National Park on the 26 mile-long Four Canyon Loop while she was on vacation. Her stout time was set despite not knowing much about the route and admonitions from the park that it couldn’t be done in a day. Nadja and host Heather Anderson, also discuss the rise of Fastest Known Times in Nadja’s home country of Germany, the importance of preparation on unsupported efforts and the appeal of desert routes.

In today’s episode host Heather Anderson is joined by our 2024 Men’s FKT of the Year winner, Kilian Jornet. Kilian shares the story of his massive human powered 82 4,000-meter peaks link up in the European Alps which took him just over 19 days. Tune in and hear about his flow state moments, how he modified his fueling to maximize recovery, and what led him to take on such a huge endeavor. He also shares his thoughts and reflections on this incredible FKT.

Southern California’s Mount San Jacinto rises steeply above the Palm Desert–towering 10,400 feet above Palm Springs. This week, we’re grinding up the incredibly varied, sometimes technical, and always relentless Cactus to Clouds route with Helen Mino Faukner.  Helen shares her experience running not just up the mountain, but all the way back down in just under 8 hours. Along the way she encountered bighorn sheep, icy snow, navigational challenges, and a skeptical ranger.  Join host Heather Anderson in today’s episode to find out more!