FKT Podcast

This week we talk with Ryan Sandes all the way from Cape Town, South Africa. His bio is long but what stands out most is his 5th, 2nd and 1st at the Western States 100 where he’ll be racing again this year. Along with preparing to run the iconic Two Oceans road marathon, Ryan recently invented a project called the 13 Peaks Challenge. Similar to the “rounds” in the U.K., there are 13 summits one must tag in 1, 2 or multi-day efforts. The time required and the ambition is all on the individual to decide. “I was keen to do a link up of a bunch of peaks. I’m not very scientific; I didn’t really check the distance between the peaks. I guessed it might be around 50-60 kilometers but it was over 100. 13 peaks is just a rad adventure that anyone can try.” Ryan was intent on creating a logical route - one that didn’t require orienteering experience - so despite some suggestions from friends that he allow variable linkups of all 13 peaks he’s strict on keeping it a loop that finishes where it starts in true “round” style. We also talked about his general feeling on FKTs and why they matter most to the individual, not the public or critics.

It's the 1 year anniversary of FastestKnownTime.com! Buzz and Peter talk about what has changed about the website, its functionality and features, what it means to be the "gatekeepers" of the FKT movement, and much more.

Mike completely disrupts the long-distance paradigm - instead of 1-2 marathons a year, he might do that many in a single weekend. He has run 107 ultra’s in the last 11 years, and most of them fast - his Marathon PR is 2:17:49. And he just completed the Israel National Trail - 1,016km in 10 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes. “I’ve been inspired by this FKT movement … I think there’s freedom with it … and there’s so much opportunity to engage the community.” The “INT” runs South-North, crossing the entire country of Israel, and is modeled after the Appalachian Trail. Mike was tracked on this website, and offered great insights during our discussion: “That’s the power of these things … they bring you to your limits, and that’s what I was looking for.”

At only age 37, Andrew Skurka has already been there, and done that: "Hiking fast was not accepted. I was frowned upon for doing the AT in 3 months." Times have changed, and so did Andrew - he's done massive projects many people may not have even heard of: the Sea-Sea route (7,775mi), Great Western Loop (6,875mi), and the Alaska Yukon Expedition (24 days between road crossings). He's written a book, definitely has the best how-to website for backpacking (andrewskurka.com), and it's worth listening to his perspective on FKTs.

FKTs of the Year in Europe...what an inspiring list! Kilian Jornet was the #1 men's FKT of the Year in Europe for his effort on the Bob Graham Round. Hear from Kilian himself in this new episode.

FKTOY Europe Awards, Part 1, with Matt Lefort, Meredith Quinlan, & Jess Baker - #24 by FastestKnownTime.com

Matt Lefort is a native of France, who 5 years ago moved to Andorra, a mountainous principality in the Pyrenees between Spain and France. He is the Race Director of the Els 2000, and an active mountain runner and skimo athlete. Matt describes how the Euro style is different than the US: the classic routes start on the stone steps of a church, go to the top of the mountain, turn around and come back to the same village. Everything is steeper and more technical; instead of trotting though the woods for days or weeks, FKTs in Europe are part of their centuries-old mountain culture. "The origin of the FKT in Europe is all about getting up and down the mountain." Lastly, Matt gives us a hint on the Fastest Known Time of the Year Awards for Europe - voting has finished; Matt will announce the Results next week.

A resident of Boston, MA, Joe McConaughy set the Supported FKT for the 2,655 mile Pacific Crest Trail in 2014, and on the 26-peak Wicklow Round in Ireland last May.  He is best known however, for his amazing Self-Supported FKT on the iconic, 2,189 mile Appalachian Trail, which not only bettered the Self-Supported record by 8 ½ DAYS, but also the overall Supported record of Karl Meltzer by 10 hours, and won him the Male FKT of the Year Award for 2017. "Not having a support crew really does take it down a notch from what you’re able to provide … you spend two hours in town, and leave carrying 25 pounds of food and supplies on your back.” Listen to Joe very thoughtfully weigh the pro’s and con’s of Supported vs Self-Supported:   "I love going Self-Supported.  At the same time, it’s incredibly hard to be self-supported for a long trail like that.  It’s forced isolation from other people." "Stringbean" has a new website: http://thestringbean.co

Paddy O'Leary is an Irish transplant who on October 13 set the FKT on the East Bay Skyline Trail, running 32.61 miles in 4 hours, 18 minutes, 12 seconds. He was training for the TNF50, where he was 5th place last year; he's also been 3rd at Chuckanut and 4th at Way Too Cool. So what's a young fast guy like Paddy doing running an FKT? "When I moved to the Bay Area 5 years ago I didn't run at all, I was a Lacrosse player who moved here for work. Then I fell in with a bad crew, that peer-presured me into running ultras." "It dawned on me that in Ireland I was a very good lacrosse player but in America, I was one of the weakest players, whereas with running, l was actually pretty decent at it. In the space of 14 months, I went from a half marathon to 100km race." His advice? "I try to take a lot of calories on board every 30 minutes, about 300 to 400 calories an hour. Outside racing, I don't follow a nutritional plan. The marginal gains achieved by having a restricted diet would turn into marginal losses for me because I'd be giving up the enjoyment I get out of food and beer." Photo by Ryan Scura ( http://instagram.com/rscura )

Candice Burt speaks to us from Moab last fall, where she was race-directing the Moab 240 -- she basically invented the 200 mile trail racing distance. And she described going solo and unsupported on August 29 around Mount Rainier on the Wonderland Trail, which earned her the #3 Fastest Known Time of the Year Award. "The Wonderland Trail was joyous, painful, and scary all at the same time. It makes it more of an adventure; you're just relying on yourself, and what you have in your pack is all you've got."