From The Backcountry

Bond Almand is a professional endurance cyclist and a senior at Dartmouth College. Bond returns to the podcast to talk about his two most recent projects: his record breaking cycle through the United States and his record of cycling through 19 states in one week. We talk in this episode about his various projects, the push and pull of sponsorship vs. personal motivations, and what comes next for him post graduation. Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's quality and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!

Amber Constant is a athlete who lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. January 1st 2026, she set out with a bold plan - to set the record for vertical record for one year, all on foot. She is now a few months in to the project and has been absolutely hammering vertical. We talk all about her project, the challenges she's faced, and what is to come.Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's quality and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!

Join the boys this week as we talk all things AT in the lead up to my (Will) bid for the self-supported Appalachian Trail FKT in late April. In this episode we discus mindset, past records, strategy, gear, and much more. Enjoy!Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's quality and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

Noah Dines is a mountain athlete best known for holding the human powered vertical record for ski touring 3.5 million vertical feet in 2024. Most recently, Noah completed an 8 day monstrous thru-ski of the Catamount Trail, a 320 mile XC ski trail that runs the entire length of Vermont. Find Noah on Instagram @noah.dinesInfinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's quality and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

This past summer Fyn Kynd set a new FKT on the Grafton Notch Loop, a top 25 Northeast FKT route with 35-36 miles and 12-13,000 feet of vertical gain that loops through the beautiful Grafton Notch in Maine. We talk all about Fyn's effort, his development as an athlete, and what efforts he plans to take on next. Find Fyn on Strava and on Instagram @fynthemtnsInfinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's quality and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

Lukas Janulaitis and Brianna Karboski pushed the limits this year at Last Skier Standing through brutal conditions to ski tour for 65 and 64 consecutive hours, respectively - each racking up over 70,000 feet of vertical gain. Along the way Lukas secured his second straight win at the event, and Brianna smashed the female course record by over a full day. In this episode we talk all about their strategy, training, mentality, and more. Shout out to White Mountain Ski Co for putting on another incredibly event!Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's quality and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

Tara Dower is a professional ultra runner and thru-hiker who is making her fourth appearance on the podcast (see episodes #50 , #71, and #75). In August, Tara and her crew set the overall Fastest Known Time on the Long Trail, taking down my time and becoming the second person to run the Long Trail in under 4 days. We talk all about her record and more during this episode. Find Tara on Instagram @tara.dower. Find her podcast DNF Diaries wherever you get your podcasts!​Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's quality and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

Cara Baskin is an ultramarathon runner and co-president of the Upper Valley Run Club. In September she set the record for the fastest female completion of the White Mountains 100, coming in at a time of 34 hours 12 minutes and beating the previous female FKT by over 4.5 hours. We talk all about Cara's amazing run in today's episode!​Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's incredible and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!​Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

In this episode Will and Xander are back to break down all of the best FKTs set in the Northeast in 2025. They talk most inspiring efforts, best DNFs, "Xander's Under Duress" list, and much more. Thanks to all of you for making FTB part of your year in 2025, see you in 2026!SPONSORS!​Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's incredible and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!​Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

Jeff Colt is a professional ultra-runner with On who has some incredibly big efforts to his name including a top 10 finish at Western States, the Hut Traverse FKT, and much more. Most recently, Jeff went out and set the FKT on the Mahoosuc Traverse, a Northeast premiere route that is steeped in trail running history. He took around 40 minutes off the already incredible record set by Hillary Gerardi. In this episode we discuss Jeff's Mahoosuc Traverse and much more!SPONSORS!​Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's incredible and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!​Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

The Mount Ascutney Vertical Backyard Ultra is a last person standing style race in which participants climb 1209 feet of vertical every hour (with 2.25 miles) until there is only one person left standing. 24 hours is equal to the elevation of Mount Everest, but this race went far beyond that. In this episode, we talk with finisher Conor Brown and assister Bill Tidd who ran over 200 miles and over 100,000 feet of vertical in 90 and 89 hours. We are joined by race directors Eli Burakian and Justin Chapman of Northeast Trail Adventures to break down the race.SPONSORS!​Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's incredible and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!​Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

Bubba's Backyard Ultra is a last person standing style race held each year in Center Conway, NH by Run The Whites. In this race participants must finish a 3.5 mile loop once per hour, and the last runner standing wins. This year saw more competition than ever before with 7 people going over 42 hours. In this episode Will interviews Lukas Janulaitis and Aaron Copeland, the 1st and 2nd place runners. Enjoy!SPONSORS!​Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's incredible and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!​Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

Bubba's Backyard Ultra is a last person standing style race held each year in Center Conway, NH by Run The Whites. In this race participants must finish a 3.5 mile loop once per hour, and the last runner standing wins. This year saw more competition than ever before with 7 people going over 42 hours. In this episode Will interviews Katie Melsky and Erica Notini, the 3rd and 4th place runners and the top women in the race. Enjoy!SPONSORS!​Infinit Nutrition: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order​Burgeon Outdoor: Check out Burgeon's incredible and locally made hiking apparel in Lincoln NH or at burgeonoutdoor.com, and let them know we sent you!!​Janji: Use code FROMTHEBACKCOUNTRY at janji.com for 10% off your entire order and let them know we sent you at checkout!

Finn Melanson is an accomplished ultramarathon runner and host of the Singletrack podcast and media company. In September, Finn went out to the woods of northern Maine and set a new unsupported FKT on the Hundred Mile Wilderness in 28 hours 43 minutes. Finn, Xander, and I talk all about his effort in this episode and more! Find Finn on Strava and on social media platforms by looking up Singletrack.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

A few weeks ago, I (Will) went over to Italy with my amazing friends and crew to run Tor des Géants. The race didn't go the way I wanted, ultimately ending with a DNF due to pneumonia. In this episode I break down the final stages of training, the race itself, and answer your questions. Thanks to all of you for following along.

Amber Constant is an endurance athlete based out of the White Mountains. She has put down multiple insane efforts this year including a 10-pack of Liberty and Flume in a single effort and the overall FKT for the New Hampshire section of Appalachian Trail. Most recently she became the first known person to complete a "yo-yo" of the White Mountains 100 in a single push. In this episode we talk about all three of these efforts and more! Find Amber on Strava and on Instagram @constant0413Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Scott Benerofe is a backpacker and ultra-runner based out of Vermont. Scott has some pretty insane efforts to his name, including a winter Appalachian Trail thru-hike (see episode #20) and a single push link-up of the Pemi Loop, Presi Traverse, and Mahoosuc Traverse (see episode #74). In early August, Scott went out and took over 14 hours off of the unsupported FKT for the Adirondack 46 High Peaks. It is a gnarly challenge that pushed Scott 190+ miles with 70,000 feet of vertical. It is also the #10 ranked Northeast Region Notable Routes for FKTs. Xander and Will talk with Scott all about his effort in this episode. Find Scott on Strava.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

John Kelly is a prolific ultrarunner known for three finishes at the Barkley Marathons, winning the Winter Spine Race, FKTs on the Pennine Way, Long Trail, and Wainwrights 214, and more. Most recently John was ahead of record pace 1900 miles into an Appalachian Trail FKT attempt when his attempt ended in the Whites due to injury. Both special guest host (and White Mountains Legend) Bill Tidd and I (Will) were with him that weekend when it all went down. In this episode we talk about John's AT effort, the upcoming Tor des Géants that all three of us are running, and the Barkley Marathons. Find them both on Strava and find John on Instagram @randomforestrunner.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: @fromthebackcountry

Tori "Chewy" Constantine is a thru-hiker from the Upper Valley who has extensive backpacking experience including thru-hikes of the Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail. Most recently Tori set a new women's unsupported record on the Long Trail, a premier FKT route that is 272 miles long with almost 70,000 feet of vertical spanning the entire state of Vermont. She took 16 hours off of the previous record, coming in at 5 days, 19 hours, 29 minutes. Find Tori on Strava and on Instagram @tconstantine3Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: @fromthebackcountry

Jack Kuenzle is a prolific mountain athlete and coach for Evoke Endurance. He has collected FKTs like Jeep drivers collect those weird dashboard thingies, including FKTs on Mont Blanc, Denali, the Bob Graham Round, the Presidential Traverse, Hut Traverse, Great Range Traverse, Devils Path, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, Mt. Shasta, and more. Jack is becoming my ultra-running coach in the lead-up to me running Tor des Geants in September, and this is the second of our coaching conversations in the lead-up. Go listen to episode #98 for our first conversation, and look out for #3 in early September.Link to Jack's "Advice on Nutrition" document:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oUl7v8faXhCIEbx3NMMRBDioC51WgoHoebM3KkvuBbM/edit?tab=t.0Find Evoke Endurance at https://evokeendurance.com/ and @evokeendurance on Instagram.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: @fromthebackcountry

Maia Buckingham and Xander Keiter are no strangers to the Northeast FKT scenes. They have both proven their metal time and again on gnarly routes and epic efforts in New England. Recently, both went out with the goal of setting new FKTs on the Hundred Mile Wilderness, and both succeeded in taking significant time off the records. We talk all about their efforts in this episode! Find them both on Strava and on Instagram @xkeiter2 and @moost.rUse code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: @fromthebackcountry

Andrew Drummond is a runner, skier, hiker, mountain athlete, content creator, and owner of Run the Whites/White Mountain Ski Co. He wears a great number of hats in the White Mountains community, from athlete to entrepreneur to race director. Most recently, Andrew went out a broke the record for the Unsupported New Hampshire 4,000 Footers, also known as the White Mountains Direttissima. He broke the record set by yours truly (Will) in 2020 by over 14 hours. In the conversation we talk about his relationship with the route, his execution, and his thoughts on the progression of the sport and himself as an athlete. Find Andrew on Instagram @sr_drummond and on Strava. Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: @fromthebackcountry

Zan Alberici is a hiker and trail runner from New Hampshire who just recently got into trail running, but has thrown down some massive efforts in just a short period of time. Most recently, Zan became the first known person to complete the White Mountains 100 in an unsupported manner. The Whites 100 is a grueling 100 mile route with 34,000 feet of gain, and the DNF list is far longer than the list of finishers. Find Zan on Strava and on Instagram @4.zan.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: @fromthebackcountry

Cara Baskin and Joe Miller are incredible ultramarathon runners in the White Mountains. They recently took home wins at Mount Adams Vertical Day, a special day in the White Mountains where a bunch of crushers see how much vert they can rack up on Mount Adams in 12 hours. We talk all about their efforts, as well as efforts currently going down in the Whites including John Kelly's AT FKT attempt and an unsupported White Mountains 100. Find them on Strava and Instagram @_caranonymous and @joeylikesrocksUse code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: @fromthebackcountry

Jack Kuenzle is a prolific mountain athlete and coach for Evoke Endurance. He has collected FKTs like Jeep drivers collect those weird dashboard thingies, including FKTs on Mont Blanc, Denali, the Bob Graham Round, the Presidential Traverse, Hut Traverse, Great Range Traverse, Devils Path, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, Mt. Shasta, and more. Jack is becoming my ultra-running coach in the lead-up to me running Tor des Geants in September, and we will be posting our monthly coaching conversations on the podcast for you all to listen to!Link to Jack's "Advice on Nutrition" document:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oUl7v8faXhCIEbx3NMMRBDioC51WgoHoebM3KkvuBbM/edit?tab=t.0Find Evoke Endurance at https://evokeendurance.com/ and @evokeendurance on Instagram.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: @fromthebackcountry

Finn Melanson is a ultra endurance athlete and host of the single track podcast who is from the great state of Maine, now residing in Salt Lake City. Finn runs one of the top ultra media companies Singletrack, and he also happens to be an incredible athlete across multiple distances. Most recently, Finn finished 6th at the 2025 Cocodona 250, improving on his time from last year by four hours. We also talk New England FKTs including the Hundred Mile Wilderness, Grafton Notch Loop, and Appalachian Trail.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: @fromthebackcountry

Will gives his instant reaction to the third day of the 2025 Cocodona 250, as the first finishers start to roll in.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Welcome back to instant reaction from day #2 of the Cocodona 250. The race is entering the pivotal second night, the temperatures are dropping, and it's still anybody's race. Will gives his instant reactions to day 2 of Cocodona and predictions for the rest of the way. Tune in tomorrow for reaction to the end of the race!

Will gives his instant reaction to the first 13 hours of the 2025 Cocodona 250, which starts off as an incredibly fast rendition of the race with a star studded cast. Tune in tomorrow and Wednesday for more instant reactions from Cocodona.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Ryan Atkins is a multi-sport athlete who has earned a reputation for success as an endurance athlete, climber, cyclist, OCR champion, and more. Ryan has set multiple incredible FKTs including the Presidential Traverse, Great Range Traverse, Adirondack 46, Mount Washington Ascent, and many more. Most recently, Ryan headed over to Mount Washington for the annual classic the Tuckerman Inferno, where he took home first place overall. We talk all about this effort and much more in this episode!Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Philip Carcia is a hiker, athlete, and content creator from the White Mountains of New Hampshire. His accomplishments the single year NH48 Grid, single season White Mountains Guide, and now the first Quadruple Single Season Winter NH 48 4000 Footers hike. Philip chats with Xander and Will about his most recent accomplishment and what it takes to be completely dedicated to a set of mountains.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire order.Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

The Barkley Marathons came and went this year with no finishers and only one fun run finisher, the great John Kelly. Will gives his reaction to the event and discusses the elephant in the room - is the Barkley now impossible?Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

The podcast returns with a new mysterious co-host to talk about the ongoing Barkley Marathons and to answer your questions! If you want us to answer your questions in future episodes of the mailbag, submit your questions via DM to the Instagram page @fromthebackcountry or email us at [email protected] code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Allison Mercer is an elite athlete as well as the director of Fastest Known Time. Recently FKT revamped their premier route list to include more routes, adding the SCAR in the United States and then expanding the list worldwide to include incredible routes such as Mont Blanc, Mount Fuji, Te Araroa, Camino de Santiago, Kilimanjaro, and more. During this episode we talk about the new list, how it came about, and answer questions from listeners. Find Allison on instagram @onewomandanceparty.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Lukas Janulaitis is an ultramarathon runner and skier from New Hampshire. At 23 year old, Lukas has achieved multiple top 5 finishes at both Bubba's Backyard Ultramarathon and Last Skier Standing, as well as a 6th place finish at the Swiss Alps 100 miler. Most recently, Lukas won Last Skier Standing 2025, during which he skied for 71 hours and over 80,000 feet of vertical until everyone else quit. In this episode we talk about this effort, Lukas' development as an athlete, and his plans for the future. Follow Lukas on Strava and on Instagram @lukasj.11.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Andrew Drummond is a local skier, content creator, and owner of White Mountains Ski Co in Jackson, NH. Chris Shane is a filmmaker & photographer documenting outdoor adventure & humans driving social change. Together they have documented some absolutely amazing ski efforts and moments in the White Mountains in hope of bringing these experiences to more people. Follow them and find their adventures on Instagram @chrismshane and @sr_drummondUse code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Xander Keiter returns to the podcast to talk about his new speedy record on the eastern trail, a 65 mile route that connects Portsmouth, New Hampshire and South Portland, Maine. He ran the route in about 8.5 hours, clocking sub 8 minute mile pace overall and taking almost 40 minutes off the FKT. In this episode we talk about this effort and his upcoming running plans for 2025.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Bond Almand IV is a 20 year old endurance cyclist and undergraduate at Dartmouth College. This Summer/Fall, he biked from the top of North America to the tip of South America in a mere 75 days, a 14,000+ mile challenge called the Pan American cycling route. On the way he obliterated both the supported and self-supported speed records while himself being self-supported. Bond's story is an incredible one of mental perseverance and overcoming treacherous obstacles. I hope you all enjoy!Find Bond on:- website - https://www.bondalmand.com/- Strava - https://www.strava.com/athletes/27266124?oq=bond%20a- Instagram - @bond_almandUse code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

This is an episode from the Singletrack Podcast, hosted by Finn Melanson. Please go check out his podcast if you haven't already, it's a fantastic show for all things in the trail running world! Recently Jack Kuenzle and I (Will Peterson) went on Singletrack with Finn to give our takes on the 2024 FKT season and look forward to 2025. Rather than recording a separate episode for this podcast that would rehash many of the same topics, Finn was nice enough to allow me to share our conversation here! I hope you all enjoy.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

A ton of cool stuff happened in the New England trail scene this year. In this episode Will breaks down some of the absolute best effort from this year. Will also goes on an extended rant about FKT ethics. What efforts did we miss!? Send us a DM on Instagram @fromthebackcountry or send us an email at [email protected] code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Heather Anderson is a legend of the multi-day endurance scene. She has set FKTs on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Triple Crown, and many more. Most recently, Heather became the second known person to hike the Arizona Trail in an unsupported fashion, also setting the unsupported FKT. In this episode Xander and Will talk with her about this incredible effort.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Nick Fowler is a multi-day athlete who is quickly solidifying himself as one of the best in the FKT scene. He has set FKTs on the Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, Oregon Coast Trail, and the Ozark Trail. Most recently, Nick set the overall FKT on the Arizona Trail while doing it self-supported. He covered the 800 miles in 12 days, 17 hours, 33 minutes. Xander and I talk to Nick about his monumental effort and so much more. Find Nick on Instagram @nick.fowler.says.hiUse code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Welcome back to the FKT roundup! I don't know if you heard, but some crazy stuff has gone down on the Arizona Trail! New FKT Round-up co-host and FKT dictator Allison Mercer is here to talk about all things FKT. Hope you enjoy!Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Josie Fisher and David Sinclair are mountain athletes based out of New Hampshire and Vermont. They are each incredibly accomplished in both the mountain running and skimo worlds, and they threw down great times during the Run the Whites TRT throw-down challenge, minting new fastest known male and female ascents of Mount Washington. Find them on Instagram @josephinefisher and @david.a.sinclair.92Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Welcome to the FKT Roundup, a new segment where Xander and Will (or just Xander, in this case) bring you the latest news from the FKT scene. We plan to bring you these episodes in addition to the bi-weekly athlete interviews that you know and love. This week Xander talks about all of the ongoing efforts on the Arizona Trail, as well as other recent FKTs!Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

David Hedges is a mountain runner who has made a name for himself with top performances in races and FKTs alike. You likely know him from his incredible FKT on Nolan's 14 last year. Most recently, David set the FKT on the WURL, an incredibly gnarly FKT route outside Salt Lake City which boasts 36 extremely technical miles and over 20,000 feet of vertical. Blake Bekken and SOAR Running put out a great short video recording the effort, which you should definitely watch before listening to this conversation. Link to that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrMWx-M04WM&t=226sFind David on Instagram @dhedges_Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

There are hundreds if not thousands of FKT routes out there. Outside of the very limited premier routes list on the FKT website, how are you supposed to tell which routes are the most competitive and important? That is a question that Will and Xander hope to begin to tackle with their Northeast Premier Routes project. They polled dozens of Northeast FKT athletes to figure out which routes are most important to people, and in this episode they break down the results and bring a spotlight to the routes that matter most to athletes in the Northeast region.Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Tara Dower is a professional ultra runner and thru-hiker who is making her third appearance on the podcast (see episodes #50 and #71). In September, Tara and her crew set the overall Fastest Known Time on the Appalachian Trail, taking six days off the women's record, five days off the southbound record, and over 13 hours off of the overall record set in 2018 by Karel Sabbe. We talk all about her record, answer listener questions, and more. Find Tara on Instagram @tara.dowerUse code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

Scott Benerofe is a backpacker and ultra-runner based out of Vermont. Scott has some pretty insane efforts to his name, including a winter Appalachian Trail thru-hike (see episode #20). In late July, Scott went out and established a route that he calls the White Mountains Triple, which is a 100-mile linkup of the Pemi Loop, Presidential Traverse, and Mahoosuc Traverse, all on foot. The route boasts 35,000 feet of elevation gain and some of the gnarliest terrain that New England has to offer. We talk all about his effort in this episode. We also talk about the recent controversy on the Grand Teton FKT, Tara Dower's historic FKT on the Appalachian Trail, and more. Find Scott on Strava and Instagram @scottbenerofeUse code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/

At 10am on August 28th, I set out with a group of over 30 northeast locals to attempt a supported FKT on the Vermont Long Trail. We would finish the trail 3 days, 21 hours, and 9 minutes later, taking over 7 hours of the FKT and being the first run of the Long Trail to be under 4 days. I covered a lot of my individual perspective of the run over on the Singletrack podcast, and I will cover the nuts and bolts in a detailed trip report (to be released very soon). This podcast is a little different. In this podcast, I brought together the 6 crew/pacers who were out there with me for the entirety of the effort and hear stories from many different perspectives of this effort. It was a pleasure to get this group together one more time to hear the stories that I wasn't privy to as the runner. I hope you all enjoy our conversation!Use code fromthebackcountry at infinitnutrition.us and hyperlitemountaingear.com for 15% off your entire orderpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthebackcountry/