Last spring, Katie Brown notched her first FKT—the self-supported record on the Arizona Trail. She broke the long-standing record of Heather Anderson, who Katie joins today on the FKT Podcast to break down all things AZT.
The emergency room nurse from Utah first attempted the notoriously challenging trail in 2019. Storms scared her away. She returned for redemption in May 2022. Graced with good weather, some well-timed trail magic, and most importantly an indomitable spirit, Katie hiked the 800+ miles over Arizona in 17 days, 19 hours, and 52 minutes—nearly two days faster than Heather’s record from 2016.
While new to FKTs, Katie has been thru-hiking since 2012. The miles under feet clearly paid off, even if she’s had to adjust her strategy. On her first thru-hike, Katie’s pack weighed 40 pounds. She returned to the AZT with just seven pounds on her back. Tune in to learn how Katie whittled her pack down to the absolute bare minimum, and the risks she took in the process.
The two past and present AZT record holders also talk about training, and how consistency, durability, and rest supersede speed and volume when preparing for these long trail attempts. They trade strategies for staving off boredom and self-doubt. And Katie shares how a little luck married with a pinch of problem-solving allowed her to forge ahead after rodents shredded her pack straps to bits.
Get Katie’s full FKT report on fastestknowntime.com. And keep up with her adventures on Instagram.