Would you attempt Appalachian Trail speed record for 15-min of fame?

yeah, did the woman that held the record know she was setting a "record" when she did it?

Funny this guy broke a record held by a woman hiker BY 3 HRS and people act like he did something. Had it been 3 days .. but given the fact that SHE was a hiker I don't really take much out of it.

He pretty much equaled what she did, 3 hrs in the context of the AT means it's basically the same performance. meh.

rojo wrote:

I'm shocked that Scott Jurek barely beat some female 'hikers' record ... Seeing this record makes me want to do a story on the woman who set the record. Anyone know anything about her?

Jennifer Pharr Davis (JPD) was already an accomplished speed-hiker at the time of her Appalachian Trail record. She had set numerous FKT's on various long-distance hiking routes in the years leading up to her 2011 record, and had been Outdoor Magazine's adventurer of the year. JPD also had tons of specific knowledge and experience with the Appalachian Trail prior to her record, including two thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail, including setting the female speed record on the AT (57 days) in 2008.

In contrast, Jurek is awesome at trail running events lasting 100 - 150 miles. But by his own admission he had "never done 300 miles in a week" leading up to his record attempt, and had "only ever run 30 miles on the Appalachian Trail" and basically had no idea what he was doing. So there are both physiological and logistical issues that may have kept Scott from doing as well as he might have.

I like the comparison to Usain Bolt running a mile. Bolt's superior speed at a shorter distance doesn't guarantee that he'll do well in an event which is 16 times as long. Similarly, the AT is 22 times longer than the 100 mile distance where Scott has found his success. In both cases, the physiological demands are quite different when the distance is 20 times further. Another comparison to illustrate this same point could be Centro racing a marathon against the top women without any specific marathon prep (a marathon is 26 times as far as a mile, again similar to the AT being about 22 times longer than most of Scott's races).

So when distance runners are surprised that Scott didn't blow JPD away at a 2200 mile hike, it's kind of like sprinters being surprised that Bolt doesn't crush Jenny Simpson in the mile.

Jennifer Pharr Davis is the woman who held the AT record before Scott Jurek broke it yesterday. Here is a 2012 interview with her, conducted by a terrific guy named Skip Prichard, currently CEO of OCLC (Online Computer Library Center):

http://www.skipprichard.com/hiker-jennifer-pharr-davis-achieves-the-impossible/

runningart2004 wrote:

. Jurek bested the northbound record by a number of days AND the 2015 AT distance is 8 miles LONGER than the 2011 AT that Pharr hiked. She was also already an accomplished multi-day hiker.

Alan

1. How did the trail gain 8 miles?

8 miles should only take a few hours.

2. Why didn't he run down from Maine if that's easier?

runningart2004 wrote:

I would guess exactly zero LRers could hike 45-50 miles a day over rough terrain for 40 odd days. Jurek hiked most of his trip because he had to.

Alan

You are right most of us have jobs to go to. Without years of self publicity most of use would get little for beating this record + you need a back up team

Scott should go fro some legit ultra records like the worlds best for 100 mile etc

Just more proof that ultras are nothing more than the hot dog eating contests of distance running.

So i'm shocked he barely beat some female 'hikers' record. Not knowing much about it, I don't think I can agree with RW's conclusion:

Seeing this record makes me wnat to do a story on the woman who set the record. ANyone know anything about her?

How rocky is the trail?

[/quote]

Rojo,

As some others have pointed out, Jennifer Pharr Davis was the record holder until yesterday. Here's a good interview from 2011 when she set the FKT:

http://www.backpacker.com/trips/long-trails/appalachian-trail/trail-master-q-a-with-record-breaking-thru-hiker-jennifer-pharr-davis/

, and another from when she won Nat Geo adventurer of the year:

http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2012/jennifer-pharr-davis/

The trail is rocky as hell. Outside Mag described sections as "hardscrabble rock" that don't really resemble a trail at all and can make navigating difficult in addition to the requisite difficulties of hiking and running over such technical terrain.

I think it's equally amazing - JPD holding the record as long as she did, and still being as close to Jurek's time as she was - and eye-opening as to just how difficult the trail is. She hiked the whole way and that was her plan, whereas Jurek planned to run much of it and originally said he planned to break the record by four days. Karl Meltzer (5x Hardrock winner, I think) has twice come in looking to break it big and both times he's been chewed up and spit out. Classic tortoise vs. hare, though Jurek held on by just enough this time. JPD was patient, as you need to be on a 2,100-plus-mile trip that will last over 46 days. Funny as it sounds, and I already know the people who are going to mock this, but maybe if Jurek hiked from the outset he could have actually broken the FKT by a lot more.

Just my thoughts. Some of the ultra hate is just getting lazy on here.

2. Why didn't he run down from Maine if that's easier?

Tradition, the trail his historically done Northbound.

But we didn't test him after so it doesn't count. And im pretty sure he started on the wrong line and he kept mysteriously finding hollowed out books with blue pills on the trails. He was using the most cutting edge drip system called the "Camelbak" DURING the race. He was also seen using seen using mysterious gels in a fashion that seemed quite rogue to others. Instead of rubbing them on his legs he was taking them orally.

Needless to say we will be launching a full investigation with complimentary character assassination and libel for his convenience.

Thanks Coach! I might just take you up on the sponsorship offer...in about 10-15 years from now...In the small sections of the AT that I've run on it's pretty rocky and rough. Here's what some of the trail looks like in the White Mountains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISbLVrvkN0IIn my very limited experience of doing Mountain-Ultra-Trail races I can say that when you are on a techy trail and reduced to a powerhike (and I am nearly every time even in the shorter ultras) it is a lot different than running. Running economy gets thrown out the window and it just requires different musculature when you are on steep/rocky terrain for miles on end. The long trail FKTs and records are like a totally different sport than even those within the very diverse realm of MUT running. I'd say that hiking the AT probably has a lot more in common with the Hardrock100 than any other "racing ultra," but it is still has to be its own beast. PTC sounds like more fun anyway but I digress...Just the sleep deprivation and raised cortisol levels for that long seems like it could permanently damage the endocrine system. I think there is a reason Scott decided to wait until the end of his running career to tackle this record.Okay, I gotta go pack up my UD fuel belt full of gel and get my trekking poles ready for 11:30-min miles at UTMB now...

Is it confirmed that he ran the whole trail? versus covering the whole trail? There was NO WALKING involved at all?

He actually "walked" every other mile via handstand.

I'm sure there are parts of the trail that make it impossible to run. I also saw where he was carrying hiking poles as well...I read too, that he hurt his ankle and quad. he was originally on pace to shatter the record, but the injuries set him back as I'm sure fatigue did as well.

montana wrote:

he was originally on pace to shatter the record, but the injuries set him back as I'm sure fatigue did as well.

That happened to me as well. I was on pace through 100 meters to shatter the marathon world record at Boston last year, but fatigue set in and I just couldn't make it happen. Otherwise I would have the record.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Wait a minute... all that drama and he only beat a woman? And not by much?

This exactly.

#unimpressed

Breaking the record by 3 hours over an "event" that takes 46+ days is like a photo finish right?

I wish I could win a race and say I watched Inception before the next person finished.

Probably off the topic, but no way - no interest whatsoever. I've packed most of the AT - GA, southern NC, NH, and especially ME being the most rugged. I especially enjoyed ME; slowed down my mileage, took pictures, got lazy around the lakes region. I can't imagine running it. Solitude, days and nights alone, time to make friends w/ your brain. Can't ever see the use of running - w/ a support crew, no less. But, different strokes… I've spoken at length with Dave Horton, and I know the physical and emotional toll it took on him. Not for me.

You shouldn't go about doing things hoping it will give you your 15 minutes of fame. Just do what you know is best for you (which Mr. Jurek probably did, because he wanted to challenge himself and break a record rather than worry about the media coverage), and whatever happens, happens. Chasing fame is an empty pursuit.