At 6:38 p.m. on August 31, amidst 70 mile-per-hour winds, hail, and rain, 25-year-old Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy made it to the top of Mt. Katahdin. He finished the Appalachian Trail, unsupported, in 45 days, 11 hours, and 57 minutes. That’s almost eleven hours faster than the supported speed record set by professional ultrarunner Karl Meltzer in 2016, and nine days faster than the unsupported speed record set by Heather “Anish” Anderson in 2015. He averaged 48 miles a day along the 2,189-mile trail, finishing his hike with a 37 hour, 110-mile push—50 miles longer than he’d ever run in one go.
McConaughy is no stranger to the community of record-setting thru-hikers. In 2014, he set the supported speed record on the PCT, completing the 2,660-mile trek in 53 days, 6 hours and 37 minutes—nearly six days faster than the previous record. With a history of long-distance running, including college athletics and ultramarathons, he had plenty of experience pushing his limits when he set out on his first record-setting thru hike.
Unlike some recent claimants to the Fastest Known Time title, McConaughy painstakingly followed the guidelines and expectations set forth by the unofficial arbiter of FKTs, dedicated FKT enthusiast (and record setter himself) Peter Bakwin, founder of the online community that tracks FKTs. McConaughy dutifully tracked his location with a GPS, using Instagram to provide time- and date-stamped photos and updates to his trek. He respectfully acknowledged those who had come before him, Anderson and Meltzer, made his intentions to break the record clear, and was careful not to slip up in completing his hike unsupported. (A recent would-be record-setter faced controversy for passing along his credit card to other hikers and asking them to pick up food for him in town). Bakwin has yet to verify his record, but, at the moment, there’s no evidence to the contrary and no reason to believe he won’t.
“I’m am in shock and pain, joyful and thankful, humbled and tired, in disbelief and exhilaration,” McConaughy wrote on his Instagram when he announced his finishing time. “I will be forever perplexed and appreciative of what the wilderness brings out in myself and others. I hope anyone watching is at least inspired to become more involved in the outdoors. Every day has been a battle, but I am very thankful to be safe and have accomplished my dream ever since the PCT. I’ve had a lot of time in my own thoughts, and what I took away most from this journey is community. It is the people you love and who surround you who provide the greatest joy. It really took a village.”
Despite running unsupported, McConaughy had a huge community cheering him on, including Meltzer himself, who followed along with his Instagram, commenting his encouragement as McConaughy neared the finish. After running nearly 50 miles a day with food and shelter on his back through all the variables a nation-length trail could throw his way, McConaughy will need plenty of time to recover. His athleticism and determination couldn’t carry him through the hike without profound physical impact: weight loss, severely swollen joints, and dramatic muscle fatigue. Setting a record on a trail like the Appalachian is vastly different than running, say, a gnarly ultra-marathon. It takes grit and persistence and an incredible pain tolerance across a remarkable span of time. For example, McConaughy finished his 45-day sufferfest with an 110-mile, 22,500-foot elevation gain “ultra-marathon,” which is just 10 miles and 6,000 feet shy of one of the hardest ultras in the world, British Columbia’s Mad Dog 120. This, after battering his body with a successive 43 days of 50-mile “ultras” across rocky, unforgiving terrain, with a pack on his back.
It should be noted that, since McConaughy was unsupported, Meltzer still holds the supported speed record on the trail. Anderson still holds the women’s unsupported speed record. McConaughy holds the overall speed record and the unsupported speed record.
You publish an article about the need for not being fixated on trail speed records – and two days later you publish an article about it ?
News and opinion are allowed on the same publication…
Cant we leave some activities non competitive and just do them because we enjoy them?
Man whats up with the haterade? Awesome time, big hats off to the guy.
The trail is there and it’s going to attract adventurers looking to set records. Of course it wasn’t created for that, but it’s going to draw that attention. His accomplishment can be recognized as a feat of human endurance without degrading other uses for the trail.
I’m more bothered by the likes of liars like Wildcard Ninja and that filthy hippy Knotts who tried faking their way into the record books by claiming speed records. The sight of Ninja disrobing on camera at Springer and Knotts standing atop of the Kathadin sign after lying about their records is most troubling. Having people of such low moral character associated with the trail is despicable.
Congratulations to Stringbeans on one mean feat of human endurance.
My guess is that Stringbean REALLY enjoys moving fast in the mountains. I’m more than twice his age and he has already covered more trail miles and experienced more beautiful landscapes than I likely will in my entire time on this beautiful orb floating in space. Hike your own hike.
I live in Colorado, where, despite the overwhelming beauty that covers most of the state, a lot of people seem to see these peaks as just another way to measure their own status (ahem 14ers.) Strava and social media only seem to exaggerate this status anxious approach to wilderness. So I get the argument against all this fkt hub bub. I also totally get it, and its fun to push yourself and see what your body is capable of.
What I totally don’t get is Meltzer still owning the supported record. McConaughy owns the AT speed record, period (for now.) Beating the supported record is an incredible feat as a backpacker.
i think different people are motivated to act by different reasons. it’s all good as long as you leave no trace right? I’ve hiked fast before for days on end and have hiked leisurely too. the older I get the more I like to spend time soaking in the beauty of the wilderness without having some “schedule” hanging over me. Fast hiking usually means you’re looking down at the trail a lot and trying to put some miles behind you.
I read about Erick(sp?) Rybak doing this in 66 days. He had his dad with a camper meeting him. Still pretty cool. Now, the AT is a joke. I went for a week doing ultralight and it is completly different now than 25 years years ago. We used to have to walk like 10, 15, 20 miles to post office off the trail. It’s a picinic now.
Pacific crest trail….LOL, I had a guide book say 30 years ago ” this cow path ends, go up ridge directly in front of you and go due north at top, once ridge is attained, follow old logging down into valley, turn left at forked tree and continue for some distance. Follow CHRT for several miles…” No speed records there.
It is interesting to hear the debate out here. Thank you for taking the time to read and voice your opinions. I try to be understanding of both sides. In my mind, the trail is meant to be a life changing experience, a community driven endeavor, and a personal challenge. Doing the trail self-supported was a very important aspect for me, I felt it was more in the spirit of the trail.
No matter your opinions, I am personally very satisfied, not just with the summiting of Katahdin, but meeting some amazing people, seeing a different side of America I would never experience outside of Boston, many incredible sights, and one damn fun adventure.
I completed the AT in October. It took 16 years (a section each year) . . . . Anytime I came to a flat rock in the sun, I took a nap . . . . My goal was to hike every foot of this thread if a trail – AND to get totally “off the grid”to recharge while stepping away from the daily routine . . . . . Mission accomplished!!! Met dozens and dozens of wonderful people from all over our planet – enjoyed trail magic when I least expected it. I hiked my own hike. String bean certainly hiked his.
Quite an experience! Each section was unique and had its own challenges –
It just seems impossible to me for someone to beat the supported record… unsupported. Super human. How could you possibly have time to resupply, let alone have time for hygiene, laundry, meals, water stops, and rest? There has to be more to this story.
Great article, bad title. This is a SELFSUPPORTED record, not unsupported. Unsupported hiking is when you only have what you start with plus water gathered from naturally occurring sources along the way.