FKT Podcast

“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.

It was a busy season on the Colorado Trail as records were broken in nearly every category beginning with Kyle Curtin’s smashing success in June–bringing the record under 7 days for the first time. Today’s episode brings together record setters Brent Herring, DJ Fox, Jeff Browning, and Kyle Curtin. They discuss their route choices as well as modalities–all were supported except for Brent. Hear about fueling, GI issues, escapades with Colorado weather, and each of their biggest takeaways and memorable moments from each of their records.

For the first time ever, the Appalachian Trail Fastest Known Time has gone under 41 days–taken there by Tara Dower. On today’s episode, Tara and her crew chief Rascal join host and previous AT FKT record holder Heather Anderson to talk trail. Tara opens up about the difficulties of the rainy conditions she had in Maine and New Hampshire including how she handled numerous falls and what it did to her feet. Rascal provides insights into what a day in the life of the crew is like and how she and Tara’s mom Debbie kept things going. They share the importance of the support from hundreds of people along the way, dirt naps, and so much more all while raising funds for Girls on the Run. Donations to Tara’s fundraiser can be made at https://support.girlsontherun.org/fundraiser/5607331 Drop in and be inspired by Tara’s relentless effort–including how she overcame a 100-plus mile deficit–to claim the overall record.

Today we’re diving deep into the oak and hickory lined ridges of eastern Oklahoma and central Arkansas as we catch up with Isaac Robinson to hear about his unsupported FKT on the 223 mile Ouachita Trail. Join host Heather Anderson to learn how this resident of North Texas handled the rocks, roots, and ruggedness of this lesser known route. After a previous attempt, Isaac was back for more with a trim base weight and drive to lower the existing time. He shares how his dirt nap strategy went awry on the second night leaving him uncertain of what was hallucination and what was real as well as the highlights of this experience. Tune in and be prepared to add the Ouachita to your must-travel list!

When you hear sandy pine forest trails do you think of Florida? I bet you don’t think of New Jersey. Yet, on this week's episode, host Heather Anderson chats with Rachel Bambrick about her unsupported FKT in the sand laden Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Her 12 hour 35 minute record set a stout bar for the women’s unsupported category. Tune in and discover the details of the Batona Trail–a 53-mile hidden gem in southern New Jersey–a short drive from metro Philadelphia. Rachel shares her learning curve attempting a long unsupported record hike including how to handle brown water and her insatiable desire for Smuckers Uncrustables. Rachel also shares her philosophy on First Known Times–rather than fastest–and her goal of inspiring more women to explore their edges in athletic endeavors. Tune in and be inspired to get out there and try!

This week we're traveling to the Midwest for an excursion along Lake Superior. Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail is a popular route for FKTs and today Andrea Larson and Alan Chapman will be joining host Heather Anderson to talk about their independent, unsupported FKTs. Find out how Andrea made the last-minute decision to go unsupported and how that resulted in her struggling to keep her pants pulled up on day one. Alan shares how the Japanese philosophy of misoji influenced his decision to run as well as the wild hallucinations he had along the way. Drop in to laugh with and be amazed by these two athletes as they dive into the deep end of difficulty for their first FKT attempts.

West of Toronto, Canada’s 550 mile long Bruce Trail travels along the Niagara Escarpment, from the famous falls northward onto a peninsula that juts into the Great Lakes. This ribbon of wilderness is a well-maintained gem of predominantly hardwood forest. In 2016 a team of 18 women completed the trail relay style in what they called the Wild Bruce Chase. In 2023, one of those women went back for more.  Drop in to today’s episode and hear how Chantal Demers tackled the Bruce Trail in a completely different way via her Project 9. Despite injury set-backs, you’ll hear how this busy mom set 9 separate unsupported FKTs on the Bruce Trail. She faced weather challenges, nail-biting finishes, and the unknowns of how her body would handle the distances she was asking of it.

The Colorado 14ers are a prominent mountain list in the United States with a long history of FKTs on them. This week’s guests have been a huge part of that history, with each of them having established multiple FKTs in these mountains over the years. In this episode, we learn how Andrew Hamilton and Andrea Sansone decided to contribute to the 14ers legacy as a team. Despite injuries and personal losses, Andrea and Andrew set out to establish the first supported mixed gender FKT for the 14ers with an aggressive schedule that nearly forced them to quit early on. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear how they rallied behind the mantra “one more mountain” even as they experienced breathing difficulties and what they describe as ‘being in hell for two weeks.” You can’t help being inspired by their humble spirit, dedication to one another, and willingness to keep going, even when it looked bleakest. Drop in and be immersed in 12 days of hard mountain adventure.

This week we’re taking a trip to the land of mud, moose, and rocks in northern New Hampshire where Phoebe Seltzer set the supported FKT on the 170-mile Cohos Trail in 3 days, 10 hours. The southern terminus of the Cohos Trail is located at Crawford Notch in the heart of the uber-popular White Mountains. From there it quickly leaves the busier backcountry trails behind and wends northward through the wilderness landscapes of the Great North Woods before reaching its northern terminus at the Canadian border. Phoebe is no stranger to the Cohos–nor to attempting an FKT on it. In fact, this was her fourth attempt to set a record on this seldom-traveled route. Tune in to find out what she did differently to finally achieve success and how she sleep and nutrition throughout this challenging effort.  Mountain athlete and former guide, Phoebe shares details on how she prepares and adapts to challenges en route and the importance of having a stellar crew.

In today’s episode we’re traveling to remote Nevada to travel the crest of the Toiyabe National Forest with Jessica Johnson and Cryptic. This non-binary team established a stout unsupported time on this roughly 65-mile long trail through classic basin and range terrain.  Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s, this National Recreation Trail had fallen into disuse. Its revitalization is being brought about by new popularity among mountain bikers and bipedal adventurers alike.  Hear how Jessica’s mission to set an initial FKT on the only National Recreation Trail not yet attempted for speed, and serendipity on the PCT, led to them teaming up with Cryptic to tackle a route known for its difficult route finding as their first adventure together. We talk about their concerns about whether they’d be able to work together well, how they managed the difficulties of the trail, and navigation. You’ll be amazed by the variety of conditions they encountered in 52 hours from altitude, water scarcity (and the complete opposite with 30-plus water fords), frozen shoes, sunny days, and bushwhacking–not to mention a flat tire on their ride. So sit back, tune in, and get ready to add a trip to Nevada to your bucket list!

There are not a lot of firsts left to be done in the world of trail running, but recently Jasmin Paris accomplished just that by becoming the first woman to finish the Barkley Marathons. Tune in to hear about her training for this infamously difficult race as well as what she did differently on this, her third time there. She also shares her passion for protecting the places we run and the actionable steps she’s taken from co-founding the Green Runners to limiting her airborne travel to races. We also take a dive into the mental aspects of training and recovery as well as what it’s like to be an icon for women in sports. Tune in and prepare to be inspired! Big thanks to Janji for supporting the podcast as we head into a new year. We’re proud to partner with this trail running apparel powerhouse, whose super durable apparel comes with a five-year run everywhere guarantee. (Not to mention, two percent of sales are donated to clean water programs in the places we run.) Head to janji.com and take 10 percent off with the code FKT.

What route has tea houses, prayer flags, yak jams and is all above 3,000 meters? Join host Heather Anderson on today's episode to travel Nepal's Namche Bazaar to Everest Basecamp route with Rachel Boim. This direct route is well-traveled and only has a few technical sections, but plenty of other obstacles...including the four-legged kind.  Hear all about how Rachel completed the 72K roundtrip in just over 17 hours, spurred on by the reward of pizza and beer if she made it back in time! In addition to her supported adventure to and from EBC, Rachel shares her training, how altitude affects her, and what prompted her to begin setting mountain FKTs.  Big thanks to Janji for supporting the podcast as we head into a new year. We’re proud to partner with this trail running apparel powerhouse, whose super durable apparel comes with a five-year run everywhere guarantee. (Not to mention, two percent of sales are donated to clean water programs in the places we run.) Head to janji.com and take 10 percent off with the code FKT.

In this week’s episode, we’re traveling across 4 state borders with Meg Landymore. She recently set the women’s unsupported FKT for the AT Four State Challenge. This 43 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail touches 4 states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. Meg’s familiarity with the local-to-her route brought her within minutes of beating the women’s supported time despite a stressful week and lackluster start. While no stranger to FKTs this was the first time Meg broke a standing record. She and host Heather Anderson chat rocks, nutrition, navigation, and more.  Tune in to hear about this classic route as well as glean tips on how this busy career woman and mother makes time to hit the trail. You can follow Meg on Instagram @ mostxtremegirl_adventures for more. Big thanks to Janji for supporting the podcast as we head into a new year. We’re proud to partner with this trail running apparel powerhouse, whose super durable apparel comes with a five-year run everywhere guarantee. (Not to mention, two percent of sales are donated to clean water programs in the places we run.) Head to janji.com and take 10 percent off with the code FKT.

This week we’re traveling to a park where the trees have a name. The Joshua Tree National Park Traverse is a 37 mile long route in southern California. The park, eponymously named for the large yucca plants that grow there, is more well known as a rock climbing mecca than ultra-running scene. Yet within a few days of one another Darren Thomas and Jake Jackson both set records on this desert route. Darren recounts what went into setting a wicked fast self-supported time including his prep time (spoiler alert: it wasn’t as much as you’d think) and using a pending plane departure as motivation to keep moving. Jake takes things to a whole other level by completing the route out and back, besting every other unsupported effort for the double. He shares his water strategy and the lessons learned about how all bushes look alike when caching. Drop in to hear these guys chat all things trail with host Heather Anderson and find out more about the best desert trail you’ve never heard of.

In this week’s episode, host Heather Anderson is joined by ultrarunner and body positivity activist Callie Vinson to discuss her supported Maricopa Loop FKT. The Maricopa Loop is an urban trail system connecting all the major and municipal parks that ring the city of Phoenix, Arizona. Despite its accessibility, it is chock full of wild and remote trails and hits many incredible viewpoints along the way. Vinson shares her journey from someone who struggled to walk a mile a decade ago to losing 200 pounds and becoming the person who ran this 240 mile route in just over 4 days. Callie and Heather chat about a wide range of topics ranging from sleep-deprivation induced hallucinations to awkward conversations that happen when you’re jogging without a baby in your jogging stroller. Callie also talks about the importance of the trail running community to her and how her “open-call” method of arranging for crew and pacers led to a fantastic experience and new friendships. Drop in and be inspired!

There’s only one FKT that is over 7,000 miles long and takes seven and a half months to complete and in 2023 Billy Meredith crushed the self-supported record on it. The Triple Crown of Thru-Hiking consists of the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Each of these is over 2,000 miles long. Attempting to complete them in one year is a rare feat known as the Calendar Year Triple Crown, or CYTC. Billy took the CYTC to the next level by setting out to establish an FKT in the process. Not only did he decide to tackle a gargantuan goal, but he chose a year with record breaking snowpack throughout the High Sierra of California and early winter storms on the Appalachian Trail.  Tune in to hear Billy and host Heather Anderson, who was the first woman to complete the CYTC, talk shop about long distance hiking, the Triple Crown, how to stay focused on the goal (Billy’s mantra: Remember Tomorrow) and the power of walking home. Billy’s story of determination, tenacity, and resilience on a mind-bogglingly huge route will inspire you to aim higher and go farther.

This week we’re traveling to Alabama to retrace Martin Luther King Junior’s march from Selma to Montgomery with Sika Henry. 59 years ago nonviolent activists marched between these two cities to protest segregation. Earlier this month Sika, the first Black female professional triathlete, ran this 51-mile historic route in 7 hours 6 minutes.  The granddaughter of a footballer denied admittance to the professional leagues due to race, Sika shares her remarkable and inspiring journey to Montgomery–as well as to professional athletics–despite a major accident. Her drive to return to triathlon after a horrific bike crash in order to bring attention to the lingering impacts of segregation in triathlon–and the full-circle moments of her Fastest Known Time–are empowering.  You can follow her on Instagram @ sikahenry Big thanks to Janji for supporting the podcast. We’re proud to partner with this trail running apparel powerhouse, whose super durable apparel comes with a five-year run everywhere guarantee. (Not to mention, two percent of sales are donated to clean water programs in the places we run.) Head to and take 10 percent off with the code FKT.

Host Heather Anderson delves into Kristian Morgan's epic Appalachian Trail FKT, an endeavor filled with grit, determination, and unexpected challenges. Join us as we uncover the remarkable story of Kristian, who embarked on this daunting journey supported by an unlikely ally – his own mother, serving as his dedicated crew. Through numerous setbacks and restarts, listeners will be captivated by Kristian's unwavering resolve amidst one of the wettest years in the Northeast. Tune in as we explore the triumphs and tribulations of an extraordinary athlete's quest to conquer the legendary Appalachian Trail. Read more about Kristian's FKT here. Big thanks to Janji for supporting the podcast as we head into a new year. We’re proud to partner with this trail running apparel powerhouse, whose super durable apparel comes with a five-year run everywhere guarantee. (Not to mention, two percent of sales are donated to clean water programs in the places we run.) Head to janji.com and take 10 percent off with the code FKT.