Tara Dower and Kilian Jornet awarded 2024 FKT of the Year
In a year filled with historic milestones, these two projects outshone all others

On Sunday, the trail running world recognized Virginia ultrarunner Tara Dower’s Appalachian Trail speed record and Spain’s Kilian Jornet‘s 82 Alpine Peaks as the most groundbreaking individual performances of 2024. Both distinguished athletes were awarded Fastest Known Time (FKT) of the Year by the fastestknowntime.com website, winning their categories over 20 and 17 other standout performances, respectively.
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Tara Dower’s Appalachian Trail speed record
Dower completed her FKT in September, covering 3,536 km in 40 days, 18 hours and five minutes; her time demolished the previous overall best, set by Belgian ultrarunner and dentist Karel Sabbe in 2018, by more than 13 hours. (Sabbe was last year’s winner of the men’s FKT of the Year.)
The Virginia-based ultrarunner chose the southbound route, beginning on Aug. 12 and finishing on Sept. 21. Dower highlighted the help of her support crew, an all-women’s team that paced, supported and crewed her. Hoping to inspire women and girls to pursue their dreams, the runner also set out to raise US$20,000 for the non-profit organization Girls on the Run. In the end, she raised more than $55,000.
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The Appalachian Trail stretches from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia, covering 3,536 km with 141,732 metres of elevation gain. Known as the original long-trail thru-hike, this eastern U.S. route weaves through 14 states, including New Hampshire, Virginia and North Carolina. The trail’s challenging terrain and relentless elevation shifts make it one of the most respected, and daunting, undertakings for any long-distance runner or hiker.
“I remember in 2021 when I was just a novice in the sport and viewed myself just as a major fan of FKTs and trail running,” Dower wrote on Instagram. “Never did I think I’d hold #1 FKT of the year alongide @kilianjornet. THANK YOU! So excited, thankful and flabbergasted.”
Kilian Jornet’s 82 Alpine Peaks
Also in September, Jornet successfully completed his FKT challenge attempt in a mere 19 days, ascending 82 4,000-metre Alpine peaks, using only running and cycling between mountains. The previous FKT of 62 days was set by Ueli Steck in 2015; Steck had combined cycling and paragliding to complete the challenge.
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Jornet, a four-time UTMB champion, set out on Aug. 15, starting his journey in the Bernina range of eastern Switzerland. In just a few days, he conquered 10 peaks, covering 423 km with a staggering 19,831m of elevation gain. The early stages of the challenge tested both his physical and mental endurance, and Jornet worked closely with scientists to track the demands of his trek. He also provided daily recaps, stats and tracking on the NNormal blog, Strava and @nnormal_official. He completed the challenge on Sept. 2.