Tennessee ultrarunner sets self-supported Appalachian Trail record

A Tennessee ultrarunner has set a new fastest known time (FKT) in the women’s self-supported category on the Appalachian Trail. Sarah Baker of Roan Mountain, Tenn., completed the 3,524-kilometre journey from Georgia to Maine in 74 days, 4 hours and 42 minutes, finishing on July 28 in Maine’s Baxter State Park.

Baker’s feat broke the previous women’s self-supported record of 80 days, 13 hours and 11 minutes, set by Elizabeth Thomas in 2011, also on a south-to-north route. It was far from easy for Baker, who disclosed in an interview with GearJunkie that she battled intense heat, cold and even starvation.

Baker did not come into this challenge unprepared, having previously set three FKTs on various sections of the Appalachian Trail. For the first few weeks, she averaged more than 50 kilometres per day. But a multi-month effort rarely goes smoothly. Just three weeks in, Baker said she likely contracted norovirus, and was forced to “stealth camp” on the trail while recovering, after hostels turned her away due to illness.

One of the biggest challenges of a self-supported FKT is managing logistics without outside assistance. Baker says she relied on the long-time thru-hiker strategy of mailing food ahead to resupply points in small towns along the route. The issue with this strategy is that it requires additional distance to pick up supplies and return to the trail.

In addition to the physical and logistical toll, the Appalachian Trail itself is extremely punishing. With more than 140,000 metres of elevation gain and loss, it’s equivalent to climbing Mount Everest around 16 times.

FKT records on trails like the Appalachian Trail are divided into three categories: supported, self-supported and unsupported. Supported FKTs allow athletes to have external help—think of it as having a pit crew. Self-supported FKT attempts prohibit external support, but allow athletes to use public resources like grocery stores, mail drops, or strangers on the trail. Unsupported FKTs require athletes to carry everything and prohibit any external help or access to resources.

Baker reached the trail’s northern terminus on July 28, securing a new FKT and carrying 74 days’ worth of memories she’ll likely never forget.