Nikki Kimball’s Vermont Long Trail FKT bested by Alyssa Godesky

Professional triathlete, coach and ultrarunner Alyssa Godesky of Charlottesville, Virginia has bested Nikki Kimball’s FKT on Vermont’s Long Trail. Starting on July 26, Godesky finished in five days, two hours and 37 minutes, beating Kimball’s previous FKT, set in 2012, by five hours.

Alyssa Godesky has beaten champion ultrarunner Nikki Kimball's Vermont Long Trail FKT.

See how much time was taken from Kimball's record, photos and more: https://t.co/KOJmGwEu2S

Congrats, @alyssagodesky! #fastestknown

— Fastest Known Time (@FastestKnown) August 3, 2018

RELATED: Appalachian Trail speed record next challenge for Pacific Crest Trail FKT-holder

The Long Trail is an extremely rugged and steep 273-mile (437K) route through the Green Mountains from the Massachusetts-Vermont border into Quebec. It was built over a 20-year period in the early 20th century. The main trail is marked with white painted blazes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl6tOElFw0k/?taken-by=alyssagodesky

Kimball was going after the overall FKT when she attempted to break Jonathan Basham‘s supported record of 4:12:46, set in 2009. That record was the sixth record set on the trail, and still stands. Instead, Kimball set the first women’s supported record, of 5:7:42, which has now been broken by Godesky.

Kimball is a physical therapist and ultrarunner who lives in Bozeman, Montana. She raced the Hardrock 100 for the first time last month, finishing second. Kimball suffers from depression, and has spoken at length about her experience of being a runner with depression.

Thank you @LArunr When people understand depression, they help people with depression. #StopTheStigma https://t.co/6m2EQ9EdDA

— nikki kimball (@nikkimball) May 12, 2016

The women’s self-supported record on the Long Trail was set by Jennifer Pharr-Davis in 2007, and still stands at 7:15:40. (Self-supported means you don’t carry everything you will need with you when you start out, but you don’t have a crew. You may send supplies ahead to towns along the route, or accept aid from other hikers.) You can read more about these FKT’s on the fastest-known-time site, here. 

Kimball’s journey is documented in the film “Finding Traction,” available on Netflix.