Springer Mountain, GA → Mount Katahdin, ME
August 12 — September 21, 2024
Averaged ~54 miles per day
Broke Karel Sabbe's record by 13.5 hours
First woman to hold overall record since Jennifer Pharr Davis (2011)
Dower is a legendary ultrarunner with extensive FKT experience across multiple continents.
2,197.4 miles across 14 states
~464,000 ft total elevation gain/loss
April 20 — June 1, 2018
Belgian dentist and FKT legend. First to average 50+ miles/day on the AT.
Sabbe's record stood for 6 years before Dower broke it, proving the speed frontier was still advancing.
NOBO (North-Bound) proved to be faster historically than SOBO, though Dower's SOBO run changed that narrative.
First woman to hold the overall AT FKT record. Held title for 13 years.
May 28 — July 14, 2011
Davis's record was groundbreaking proof that women could compete at the absolute fastest level of trail running.
Paved the way for subsequent women's FKT pursuits, including Dower's historic 2024 run.
Men's SOBO Supported Record
August 20 — October 4, 2023
Morgan was the men's-specific supported record holder before Dower's overall supported record.
Morgan is attempting another SOBO record in 2025, pushing to improve his own time.
March 28 — May 13, 2015
Famous ultramarathon legend known for Western States and other ultra classics.
Brought mainstream attention to trail FKTs through his larger profile as an elite ultrarunner.
Jurek's run was beaten by Meltzer's time just 9 hours later, showing the competitive intensity at the highest levels.
April 10 — May 26, 2016
Broke Jurek's record by 9 hours after an 8-year quest for the AT FKT.
Meltzer's dedication spanned nearly a decade of attempts before capturing the record.
Represents the competitive drive that defines FKT culture—years of training and strategy to break incremental records.
Beat the supported record while running unsupported. Carried own gear and resupply.
April 6 — May 22, 2017
McConaughy's achievement proves elite runners can compete at record-setting pace without crew support, carrying their own nutrition and gear management.
Stringbean is known for unsupported FKTs across multiple routes, emphasizing self-sufficiency and minimal resupply.
Fastest unsupported women's AT FKT.
May 17 — July 11, 2015
Anderson ran the entire trail unsupported, managing all resupply stops and gear independently while maintaining an elite pace.
Anish's unsupported time is still impressive compared to supported records, showing the gap between crew-supported and self-managed efforts.
Fastest unsupported men's AT FKT.
June 11 — August 9, 2013
Kirk's unsupported run required exceptional self-management and planning without external crew support.
The gap between Kirk's 58d and supported records (40d+) highlights the advantage of crew support in feeding, pacing, and logistics management.
The very first known Appalachian Trail FKT.
Doyle ran the trail in blue jeans—hiking clothes, not modern trail running gear. Represents the beginning of AT speed hiking.
Set the template for what became the most prestigious trail running FKT in North America.
Nearly 51 days faster than Doyle's 1973 time, showing 50+ years of equipment, training, and pace optimization.
Slashed Doyle's 1973 time by nearly 14 days—a massive progression leap.
Horton's record held for 8 years (1991-1999), a testament to the difficulty of the route.
Represents the professionalization of AT speed hiking in the 1990s.
Shaved 3+ days off Horton's time, continuing the record progression.
Palmer's record held for 6 years, showing the AT was becoming a more competitive speed hiking arena.
Thompson narrowed the progression to single-day improvements, showing records were becoming incrementally harder to break.
After Thompson's 2005 record, the next major progression came with Jurek in 2015—a 10-year gap suggesting the pace frontier was harder to push.