Pete Kostelnick began his transcontinental record attempt today (September 12)

Nebraska

Runner of miles and kilometers wrote:

Nebraska

Central Time by the time he stops!

He's letting it rip today. Already 71.19 miles, and he's down to nice thick air below 3400'.

Looks like he didn't quite make Central time, but he's 8 miles away and he'll hit it tomorrow just east of Grainton (Look for W County Line Road.)

69.1 average daily miles (including the 0 day). At the same pace he'll hit 3100 miles on day 45 and beat the record!

What is the record?

I don't know if this has been posted, but here's an article about current record holder Frank Giannino (from 2008):

http://www.recordonline.com/article/20080914/Sports/809140356

Giannino's record is exceptionally good.

In 2008, two world class ultra runners, Marshall Ulrich --4 time winner of Badwater when the run included getting to the top of Mt. Whitney-- and Charlie Engle --who was part of group of three that did the first run across the Sahara (4100 miles)--, teamed up for the Run Across America and failed to break Frank Giannino's record of 46 days (66+ miles per day). Ulrich finished in 52 days. Engle DNFed due to illness.

https://www.outsideonline.com/1915671/ultrarunners-long-road-back

Given that Giannino did it before GPS and LRC, and in the light of frauds such as Young and Bertollini, one wonders about the credibility of that "feat". Hopefully Kostelnik crushes it and sets a verified record.

Hall of Myrrors wrote:

Given that Giannino did it before GPS and LRC, and in the light of frauds such as Young and Bertollini, one wonders about the credibility of that "feat". Hopefully Kostelnik crushes it and sets a verified record.

He had a support team. Sorry, but old records stand. GPS and LRC do not get to erase all past accomplishments.

I suggest you get out on the run and follow Kostelnik. Make sure someone else isn't moving his "GPS" along the route while he naps in the RV. GPS, LRC and videos can all be easily faked.

Blah blah blah.

Kostelnik is ticking every credibility box on his effort, including his three Badwater wins and course record. He isn't some doughy wannabe look-at-me insecure bytch showing up with a dog-and-pony show in tow. His is going to be the definitive level and style for the current state of technology.

Blah blah blah.Kostelnik is ticking every credibility box on his effort, including his three Badwater wins and course record. He isn't some doughy wannabe look-at-me insecure bytch showing up with a dog-and-pony show in tow. His is going to be the definitive level and style for the current state of technology.

Auntie Fraud wrote:

Hall of Myrrors wrote:

Given that Giannino did it before GPS and LRC, and in the light of frauds such as Young and Bertollini, one wonders about the credibility of that "feat". Hopefully Kostelnik crushes it and sets a verified record.

He had a support team. Sorry, but old records stand. GPS and LRC do not get to erase all past accomplishments.

I suggest you get out on the run and follow Kostelnik. Make sure someone else isn't moving his "GPS" along the route while he naps in the RV. GPS, LRC and videos can all be easily faked.

Auntie Fraud wrote:

Hall of Myrrors wrote:

Given that Giannino did it before GPS and LRC, and in the light of frauds such as Young and Bertollini, one wonders about the credibility of that "feat". Hopefully Kostelnik crushes it and sets a verified record.

He had a support team. Sorry, but old records stand. GPS and LRC do not get to erase all past accomplishments.

I suggest you get out on the run and follow Kostelnik. Make sure someone else isn't moving his "GPS" along the route while he naps in the RV. GPS, LRC and videos can all be easily faked.

Multiple stories already of people running big mileage with Pete during the run--including me. The guy is legit.

Hall of Myrrors wrote:

Given that Giannino did it before GPS and LRC, and in the light of frauds such as Young and Bertollini, one wonders about the credibility of that "feat". Hopefully Kostelnik crushes it and sets a verified record.

I asked David Horton about Giannino. For those that don't know him, Horton has run across the US, once held the AT and PCT speed records, finished Barkley (if you don't appreciate what that means, look it up), and so on. He's also some kind of official or unofficial judge of FKTs (Fastest Known Time records). He won't get into mudslinging online but he takes these things very seriously. He knew Giannino and says he was for real and thinks his record is legit. That's good enough for me, and should be good enough for anyone. I believe Pete does too, and that's one reason he's running the same basic route and time of year, to match his feat and better the time.

I introduced Pete to Horty at Western States this year and they chatted a bit about this run. Horty's comment to me afterward was that he thinks Pete may be too young to pull it off. We got interrupted so I don't know if he meant too inexperienced or if there was some kind of muscle build up over the years he'd need or what. Also, sometimes Horty just likes to get under people's skin a bit to spur them on. I'll see him this weekend at Grindstone and make sure he knows that Pete is well on track.

Pete's Little Toe wrote:

I introduced Pete to Horty at Western States this year and they chatted a bit about this run. Horty's comment to me afterward was that he thinks Pete may be too young to pull it off. We got interrupted so I don't know if he meant too inexperienced or if there was some kind of muscle build up over the years he'd need or what.

Giannino's record is legit. He ran across the US twice. He is the one who figured out a good support team was necessary to set a good time. Kostelnick is using the support team like Giannino did, to do everything--food, cleaning, massage--for him. That way Kostelnick can entirely focus on running.

By young I think Horton means ability to control your running ego. Not focus so much on miles and pace. So far Kostelnick is focused on 70 miles per day, maybe a bit too much. If he doesn't break the record the constant focus on miles per day would be my guess as the reason. Try for an average miles per day, not make it so constant.

Klorster wrote:

What is the record?

46 days 8 hours 36 minutes.

Read more here:

Pete's Little Toe wrote:

Also, sometimes Horty just likes to get under people's skin a bit to spur them on.

Horton likes to get under peoples' skin? Now I know your entire post is full of shit. Dr. Horton would never do that. Never. ;)

RvaRunner wrote:

Pete's Little Toe wrote:

Also, sometimes Horty just likes to get under people's skin a bit to spur them on.

Horton likes to get under peoples' skin? Now I know your entire post is full of shit. Dr. Horton would never do that. Never. ;)

Ha!

Robert Young obviously cheats and gets a lot more publicity. Elliptical Cowboy only cares about his story and not his welfare kids.

I'm guessing Pete Kostelnick should be more self-centered if he wants to get attention.

The thing with Frank Giannio's "record" is that it is probably also just a faked record. It is very hard to believe that anybody in 1980 had the knowledge to run that good for such a long time. According to Frank's website he never did an ultramarathon ever. Just his two trans con runs.

Frank had to run that "fast" because another scam artist, Stan Cottrell had bumped up the "Record" just a couple of weeks before.

Frank Giannino was a good marathon runner but according to his website has never done any ultramarathons ever. Very hard to believe that he could pull of 67 mile/days for weeks.