26-year-old runner sets new record for Grand Canyon rim-to-rim route

Tim Freriks has just become a household name in the trail and ultrarunning scene. The runner, 26, just set the FKT (fastest known time) for the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim route. 

This happened on Oct. 1 a year after Jim Walmsley broke record for the single and double crossings of the Grand Canyon. First reported by Trail Runner magazine, the record for the 21-mile distance now stands at 2:39:38 – seven minutes faster than Walmsley’s FKT. Freriks is both a friend and a training partner to Walmsley.

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Set a new fastest known time (FKT) for the rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon this morning! 2:39:38 from the North Kaibab trailhead to the South Kaibab trailhead in one of the most incredible places on earth. Couldn’t have done this without the help of my friends and the support of @hokaoneone. Without @walmsley172 and @jared_hazen hootin’ and hollerin’ for me all the way down at the river, that climb would’ve been twice as hard, and my friends and family at the rim made that final push all worth it. – The Grand Canyon has always felt like home, and this morning’s effort reminded me how special this place is to me. Photo credit to the amazing @sunnymae. – Thank you to my sponsors that continue to support this dream of mine: @hokaoneone @clifbar @drymaxsocks @squirrelsnutbutter #timetofly #feedyouradventure #NationalParkService #GrandCanyon #SNB #drymaxsocks #coconinocowboys #thecanyonmakescowboys

A post shared by Tim Freriks (@frerikstim) on Oct 1, 2017 at 12:37pm PDT

Freriks graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2013 and the Grand Canyon was his favourite place to run during that time-frame. After getting into ultra-running and discovering his talent for going the distance, he placed second at Lake Sonoma 50 and first this year at the Transvulcania 73. 

He posted photos of his record breaking run at the start of the month on his Instagram account shortly after.

“Couldn’t have done this without the help of my friends and the support of (Hoke One One) @hokaoneone. Without (Jim Walmsley) @walmsley172 and (Jared Hazen) @jared_hazen hootin’ and hollerin’ for me all the way down at the river, that climb would’ve been twice as hard, and my friends and family at the rim made that final push all worth it,” he wrote after his record. “The Grand Canyon has always felt like home, and this morning’s effort reminded me how special this place is to me.”

The runner works as a full-time registered nurse and told Trail Runner that he only ever planned on setting a rim-to-rim record if his schedule allowed for him to get in the proper training. The ultra-runner works long shifts too – according the report, he went in for the first of three 12-hour shifts just the day after setting the record. 

In the future, Frerik plans to run the Skyrace in Flagstaff. Guess we’ll be keeping an eye for his name on start lists.