Joe McConaughy, Appalachian Trail Speed Record, legit??

Both Karl and Jurek had debilitating injuries and were arguably past their prime when setting the record.

I have no doubt Joe did what he said, he is an honest, forthright and tough dude.

About the pack weight. Joe was self supportedso while his Base weight was probably around 10lbs, with food and water is was around 25 lbs. He was consuming 5,000 calories or so a day and pounding water. it adds up.

Where was his SPOT data posted? I am specifically interested in how much extra distance he had to do to resupply. I have not been able to find any of his data online.

I find it hard to believe that Joe with a 10-25 pound pack hiking is a better ultrarunner than a supported Karl Meltzer, Scott Jurek, David Horton, or other who has tried to run the trail. Even a pound or two makes a huge difference on rocky terrain with lots of vertical. I sincerely hope that Joe provides details on his record attempt, including: How many times did he resupply? How many extra miles did those resupplies add to the distance? Where did he sleep each night and were any nights in hotels? I think it is possible that Joe might have beaten Karl and Scott if he had been supported, but on a first attempt it would have been rather unlikely. To beat a fast running record carrying a heavy pack and not being that familiar with the trail just seems rather unlikely. I am disjointed that he didn't have people on the trail with him. I would have gone out to see him if I had known he was trying to set the record. No, I am not a troll, and frankly, I think it is crazy that people aren't asking more questions about the attempt. Did no one read the 101-page report on Robert Young faking his Run Across America? Yes, I would like to believe that Joe ran that trail in that time, but I just find it hard to believe, and surprising that the attempt has received so little critical analysis even though it was reported in Washington Post and Outside and other publications.

I am also curious whether Joe spent the night in AT shelters. I have spent a reasonable number of nights in AT shelters, crowded noisy, fires, snoring, etc., yes, maybe you can sleep, but it is challenging to get decent sleep and water is often not along the trail or at the shelter. Sleeping in shelters or camping dealing with the logistics yourself is going to be significantly slower than sleeping in a private van or RV and having people set up camp for you.

He answers a bunch of questions here:

http://ultrarunnerpodcast.com/joe-mcconaughy-appalachian-trail-fkt/

Is it that hard to believe that a 25 year old former college athlete can beat a nearly 50 year old?

I think you're seeing with Joe and with Claire Gallagher that even mediocre D1 runners can be great at ultrarunning. If more young talented runners get involved, a lot of ultra race records and FKTs will go down.

Scott Jurek did not run in college, but Scott won Western States 7 times - including some stellar times - and he described his AT record as: "This was the hardest thing I have ever done." Scott had not been racing recently (although he was only 41 when he did the AT), and sure the AT running record may not be that tough - BUT, it had been a running record. David Horton, Scott Jurek, Karl Meltzer, they all ran the course, had pacers, had people prepare meals and all food, setup bedding, eliminate distractions, change shoes, handle logistics, massage, bandage, and most importantly did not carry any weight. Joe only weights 160-162 pounds according to the ultraunner podcast, so the pack weight was ~10% of his body weight. The AT is a very rocky trail. Any extra weight is going to be tough. But, both Scott and Karl has people out on the trail with them for extended periods of time verifying their effort, including the last miserable days.