FKT Podcast

The desert is a unique environment full of extremes. These can lead to high stakes during long adventures. Throw in some canyons and waterfalls and you’ve got the makings and an epic adventure. Tune into today’s show and hear how Nadja Heine set an FKT in Capitol Reef National Park on the 26 mile-long Four Canyon Loop while she was on vacation. Her stout time was set despite not knowing much about the route and admonitions from the park that it couldn’t be done in a day.Nadja and host Heather Anderson, also discuss the rise of Fastest Known Times in Nadja’s home country of Germany, the importance of preparation on unsupported efforts and the appeal of desert routes.

Kilian Jornet, the 2024 Men’s FKT of the Year winner, shares his incredible journey of linking up 82 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps in just over 19 days. He dives into the nuances of alpine climbing, discussing the balance between solitude and community. Kilian reveals his evolved fueling strategies for optimal recovery and performance, emphasizing the importance of natural foods. He also reflects on the beauty and challenges faced during climactic moments, providing insights into the mental endurance required for such demanding adventures.

Southern California’s Mount San Jacinto rises steeply above the Palm Desert–towering 10,400 feet above Palm Springs. This week, we’re grinding up the incredibly varied, sometimes technical, and always relentless Cactus to Clouds route with Helen Mino Faukner. Helen shares her experience running not just up the mountain, but all the way back down in just under 8 hours. Along the way she encountered bighorn sheep, icy snow, navigational challenges, and a skeptical ranger. Join host Heather Anderson in today’s episode to find out more!

Just a year after setting a stout unsupported time on Vermont’s iconic Long Trail, Will Peterson came back and achieved a stunning supported FKT. Over Labor Day Weekend 2024, Will, accompanied by 30 crew people broke John Kelly’s previous time and shattered the 4 day barrier.Drop in to today’s episode where Will shares his strategy, motivation, fueling and more with host Heather Anderson. He shares the highs and lows of the experience from injury to success as well as how he balances his busy life as a med student with training and executing multi-day FKTs.

Join host Heather Anderson on the FKT Podcast as she dives into the standout fastest known times of 2024 with special guest Joe "Stringbean" McConaughy. Joe, a renowned runner and FKTer with record-setting achievements on trails like the Appalachian Trail, Long Trail, and Arizona Trail, brings his unique perspective to this year’s incredible accomplishments.In this episode, Heather and Joe recap the most awe-inspiring FKTs of 2024, sharing stories of endurance, grit, and groundbreaking trail runs. Along the way, they offer a glimpse into their own FKT experiences and distinctive approaches to setting records.Tune in for an exciting discussion celebrating the best of 2024’s trail running feats!

Though Georgia Porter grew up in a family of runners, she didn’t start running until age 25. Her journey from roads to trails then ultras led her to reclaiming her joy in running and to setting a stout time on the Arizona Trail as her first FKT. Drop in to today’s episode, hosted by Heather Anderson, to hear about how Georgia’s supported run of the 800-mile-long Arizona Trail unfolded…and how it was nothing like she envisioned.

The 130-kilometer Cape to Cape Track in Western Australia is a popular route for backpackers and trail runners alike. Today’s guest, Mike Lori, took on his longest ultra distance challenge by running it solo and unsupported in just 14 and a half hours. Join host Heather Anderson as they talk trail, chronic fatigue, snakes, quicksand and more. Mike also shares how trail running and FKTs are a family hobby that he shares with two of his sisters, including Erika Lori who’s Bibbulmun track FKT was the subject of a Gutsy Girl documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u8XeiJKlsw&t=411s

“If you have a strong why, you can do the impossible.”Today’s episode dives deep into the mental side of long distance running as host Heather Anderson talks with Sophie Power about her supported FKT on the Head to Head Route Across Ireland. Sophie shares her highs and lows of running a hundred miles a day for three and a half days on only 2 hours and 17 minutes sleep. Tune in to hear her philosophy on why mental strength is more important than physical and how her run became something bigger when the Irish running community, school children and residents along the route joined in. Sophie also shares her passion for removing barriers for women in sport and why she founded SheRaces. 

Colorado’s LA Freeway isn’t a misnomer. It’s a 34 mile link-up between Longs Peak and Arapahoe Peak along the Continental Divide. Join host Heather Anderson as she chats with Anton Krupicka about his unsupported FKT on this remote, technical, and exposed route. He shares his motivations and training for his 13 hour and 20 minute push that included over 18,000 feet of gain and 24 summits as well as his encounter with SAR in a crux section.

When you think about the Netherlands, you probably call to mind canals, windmills, and shoes. But in the east the nearly 500 kilometer Pieterpad Trail traverses a wide variety of landscapes as it travels from the sea in the north to the hilly terrain of the south. Sometimes referred to as the Dutch Camino, this trail offers a little bit of everything.FKTs are not popular on this route, but that didn’t stop Monica Dekker from rounding up several friends and pushing to finish the whole trail in less than 100 hours. Her 4 day run involved very little sleep, a few hallucinations, and multiple ferry crossings that she had to time just right. Drop into today’s episode where she shares her experiences with host Heather Anderson.