PDA

View Full Version : Fastest Recorded Thru-hikes for men and women?



Cavebaby
01-16-2008, 16:13
I was wondering if anyone knows who holds the current records for fastest thru-hike for men and women...and any details of how it was done, re: support, food, mileage, etc.??

Thanks!

N - Cavebaby:sun

Lone Wolf
01-16-2008, 16:16
Mens record is 47 days by Andy Thompson. supported. Mens unsupported is 60 days by Ward Leonard. don't know the womens records.

jersey joe
01-16-2008, 16:32
Andy did it in 2005. Here is a link to his "failed" attempt in 2001. I found this to be an awesome read! Gives you an idea of just how hard it really is. http://www.extremeultrarunning.com/at_at_2001/index.htm

Lone Wolf
01-16-2008, 16:34
i was supporting him on his 98 attempt when he quit in vermont

jersey joe
01-16-2008, 16:35
must have been a hell of an experience wolf...he's gotta be one mentally tough dude.

whitefoot_hp
01-16-2008, 16:35
i did mine in a few hours by looking through the photo galleries of each state.

basically the same thing as hiking it all!

jersey joe
01-16-2008, 16:42
i was supporting him on his 98 attempt when he quit in vermont

Andrew Thompson's 1998 thru hike record attempt: http://www.extremeultrarunning.com/thompson.htm


"David saw Andrew several times over the weekend and despite the soreness in his left quad Andrew is excited about Maineak and Lone Wolf joining the group for the next week or so. (Lone Wolf helped crew Maineak in 1991 and also helped crew David on the Trans-Am)"

STEVEM
01-16-2008, 17:41
I was wondering if anyone knows who holds the current records for fastest thru-hike for men and women...and any details of how it was done, re: support, food, mileage, etc.??

Thanks!

N - Cavebaby:sun

Here's some records claimed by Cavedog.

http://www.thedogteam.com/

Cavebaby......Cavedog. Any connection?

Strategic
01-17-2008, 12:11
Mens record is 47 days by Andy Thompson. supported. Mens unsupported is 60 days by Ward Leonard. don't know the womens records.

I thought it was 61 days for Leonard, I guess it depends on how you calculate it. I'd come up with this same answer from another source when this question was asked a while ago over on TJ. What I turned up in the process were several people who had know the man on the trail. Let's just say that his trailname was "Spooky Boy" and leave it at that.;)

Wilson
01-17-2008, 12:21
I wonder how fast Ward could have done it, supported?

That is if he would have even allowed someone to help him.

lobster
01-17-2008, 13:08
Speed records:

2005 Andrew Thompson 47 days 13 hours 31 minutes supported

1999 Pete Palmer 48 days 20 hours 11 minutes supported

1991 David Horton 52 days 9 hours 42 minutes and Scott Grierson in just under 56 days both supported

1990 Ward Leonard 60.5 days unsupported

? Warren Doyle 66 days unsupported ( Warren, please supply year and a more accurate time.)

Amazing endurance effort: I believe, Ward Leonard did 3 thru-hikes( 2 northbound and 1 southbound) in 1991 and part of a 4th. One took barely longer than his 1990 record since I saw a log book in southern Maine that said that he was on his 58 and 1/3 day. Was he trying to beat that 1990 record or was he just so consistent that his thru-hikes were usually under 70 days?

Newb
01-17-2008, 13:51
I did it east to west in under a second.

Captain Slider
01-17-2008, 14:16
Where is the Ward Leonard person today..??? After all the hiking has he moved on to another adventure..?? Who knows something about this person...

Lone Wolf
01-17-2008, 14:22
last i knew he was with family in connecticut.

dessertrat
01-17-2008, 14:44
Does anyone know if Ward Leonard was a trail name or a real name? There is a Ward Leonard Electric Co., so I am wondering if he just adopted it as a trail alias.

tazie
01-17-2008, 14:49
I was wondering if anyone knows who holds the current records for fastest thru-hike for men and women...and any details of how it was done, re: support, food, mileage, etc.??
Thanks!
N - Cavebaby:sun


Interesting stuff. I can't find any info on fastest women-thru hikers, if anyone has that I'm curious, too. I did find a site on Ellen Wolfe (trail name, Wolf Women, yeah it's plural) who hiked it in 4mos22days. Sounds kinda "speedy" to me. Personally I'd like to take my time and enjoy the journey...plus I'd be in no hurry to get home.

Lone Wolf
01-17-2008, 14:52
Does anyone know if Ward Leonard was a trail name or a real name? There is a Ward Leonard Electric Co., so I am wondering if he just adopted it as a trail alias.

it's his real name but he was never able to hold down a job so it's not his company.

A-Train
01-17-2008, 14:55
Interesting stuff. I can't find any info on fastest women-thru hikers, if anyone has that I'm curious, too. I did find a site on Ellen Wolfe (trail name, Wolf Women, yeah it's plural) who hiked it in 4mos22days. Sounds kinda "speedy" to me. Personally I'd like to take my time and enjoy the journey...plus I'd be in no hurry to get home.

Although that is faster, I've met several women who claim to have hiked it in 4 months or so. 522 from 2002 I believe hiked it in something like 3.5 months.

A women was trying to set the women's speed record on the PCT this yr but got off trail in Oregon.

I believe women set records on the LT and JMT this summer?

I think woman are as competitive as men, but probably don't brag as much. Maybe this is why we don't know their records?:)

A-Train
01-17-2008, 14:56
Now that I think about it, the womens "record" would probably be Ray Jardine's wife, Jenny. I believe they hiked the AT in ~3 months unsupported, which would probably be the fastest.

tazie
01-17-2008, 15:03
Although that is faster, I've met several women who claim to have hiked it in 4 months or so. 522 from 2002 I believe hiked it in something like 3.5 months.
A women was trying to set the women's speed record on the PCT this yr but got off trail in Oregon.
I believe women set records on the LT and JMT this summer?
I think woman are as competitive as men, but probably don't brag as much. Maybe this is why we don't know their records?:)


I believe the woman you mentioned on the PCT was "Dirt Diva"..she's a regular on runnersworld trail forums and has an awesome blog site. She's an ultra-marathoner and runs 100-mile races for fun. Right.
Still, hiking any trail for months at a time is a major feat in itself.

max patch
01-17-2008, 15:29
Speed records:



? Warren Doyle 66 days unsupported ( Warren, please supply year and a more accurate time.)



Supported.

Mr Doyles father met him at road crossings for about a month of his 66 1/2 day hike and gave him food and shelter.

1973 IIRC

A-Train
01-17-2008, 15:30
I believe the woman you mentioned on the PCT was "Dirt Diva"..she's a regular on runnersworld trail forums and has an awesome blog site. She's an ultra-marathoner and runs 100-mile races for fun. Right.
Still, hiking any trail for months at a time is a major feat in itself.

You are correct. Heard she got off near Sisters Oregon. She was just behind me all summer.

The Weasel
01-17-2008, 15:43
Bill Bryson did it in a couple hundred pages, finishing somewhere in PA and "I walked the Appalachian Trail."

TW

wilconow
01-17-2008, 17:13
I believe women set records on the LT and JMT this summer?


I seem to remember reading about a woman setting a record on the LT this past summer.. from nc or virginia maybe? it was posted here i believe.

fiddlehead
01-17-2008, 22:13
Here's some records claimed by Cavedog.

http://www.thedogteam.com/

Cavebaby......Cavedog. Any connection?


Pretty impressive.

Hopefully he'll let us know of any attempts.

warren doyle
01-17-2008, 23:26
Jennifer Pharr (NC - AT05; PCT06)set the LT end-to-end unsupported endurance record (both male and female) in early August.

Susan Johnston (CA formerly of VT; AT thru-hiker) set the JMT supported endurance record (both male and female a few weks later in August.

An unprecedented development in the 40 year history of long distance trail endurance records.

warren doyle
01-17-2008, 23:34
My 1973 AT endurance record (my first thru-hike) was 66 1/3 days.
During my hike, my father decided to use his vacation days to come down and drive support for me. A decision that was unforseen by myself when I first started in Georgia but which was most welcome when I found out by phone in Pearisburg.
He met me in Daleville/Cloverdale/Land of Neon and left me at Andover-B Hill Road just north of the Mahoosucs/Baldpate.
We spent a memorable month (plus a few days) together.

warren doyle
01-17-2008, 23:36
I believe that Jenny Jardine's unsupported AT women's record is 93 days.
I met her and Ray on the Tableland on their descent from the summit.

River Runner
01-17-2008, 23:40
Hey, don't forget there will be a new record this year, come May.

http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7566919

:rolleyes:

Kirby
01-18-2008, 00:09
Hey, don't forget there will be a new record this year, come May.

http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7566919

:rolleyes:

Holy S***! He actually went to the press with that?!

Kirby

OregonHiker
01-18-2008, 00:11
Holy S***! He actually went to the press with that?!

Kirby

Hey sailor...new in town?

Strategic
01-18-2008, 13:08
Hey, don't forget there will be a new record this year, come May.

http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7566919

:rolleyes:

I can't believe that the reporter fell for that either. The math alone shows that it's patently impossible, even supported. To do that you'd have to average at least 72.5 miles a day with no zeros. That's hiking at an average of 3mph literally 24/7 for 30 days. An ultra-marathoner could do better of course, but even running at about 9mph (the best that competition U-Ms can do), you'd still need to do 8 hour days to make your pace. I seriously doubt that even the best U-Ms could keep that pace up for 30 days straight. It's one thing to do it in a 100km race, another to do that same race plus another 17km on top, then do it the next day...and the next...and, well...

He's got to be blowing smoke in this reporter's eyes, or at least we should all hope so. If he's serious, then he's also seriously deluded.

Marta
01-18-2008, 13:27
Holy S***! He actually went to the press with that?!

Kirby

It's pretty embarassing, isn't it?

lmcatl
01-18-2008, 14:59
That article was very funny. He was born in Tennesse so the mountains will be no problem! hmm, was he born a billy goat in Tennesse? I think that's the only way that your birthplace could have such an impact.

TheChamp
01-18-2008, 15:07
I believe the woman you mentioned on the PCT was "Dirt Diva"..she's a regular on runnersworld trail forums and has an awesome blog site. She's an ultra-marathoner and runs 100-mile races for fun. Right.
Still, hiking any trail for months at a time is a major feat in itself.

She was a super cool chick, but fell behind early and decided to just have fun ...she got giardia in Oregon from unfiltered water and got off trail. She also got off several different times to run ultras. Let's see, walk 30 miles a day for months...get off and run a 100 mile race at Tahoe...keep walking 30 mile days. She is a character and an amazing athlete.

warren doyle
01-18-2008, 15:29
Now what did P.T. Barnum once say?

Strategic
01-19-2008, 00:54
That article was very funny. He was born in Tennesse so the mountains will be no problem! hmm, was he born a billy goat in Tennesse? I think that's the only way that your birthplace could have such an impact.

And he's ignoring the whole of West Tennessee, where the only mountains you can find are those you make out of molehills. But then, he seems pretty good at that...

River Runner
01-19-2008, 01:28
An ultra-marathoner could do better of course, but even running at about 9mph (the best that competition U-Ms can do), you'd still need to do 8 hour days to make your pace. I seriously doubt that even the best U-Ms could keep that pace up for 30 days straight.

Or keep it up on the mountainous terrain and root and rock filled pathway that the AT is in most areas.

We should take bets on this somewhere... http://www.appalachiantrailservices.com/pics/smilies/011.gif

4eyedbuzzard
01-19-2008, 11:29
I can't believe that the reporter fell for that either. The math alone shows that it's patently impossible, even supported. To do that you'd have to average at least 72.5 miles a day with no zeros. That's hiking at an average of 3mph literally 24/7 for 30 days. An ultra-marathoner could do better of course, but even running at about 9mph (the best that competition U-Ms can do), you'd still need to do 8 hour days to make your pace. I seriously doubt that even the best U-Ms could keep that pace up for 30 days straight. It's one thing to do it in a 100km race, another to do that same race plus another 17km on top, then do it the next day...and the next...and, well...

He's got to be blowing smoke in this reporter's eyes, or at least we should all hope so. If he's serious, then he's also seriously deluded.

If you pause the video interview http://tinyurl.com/2oycrh at about 1:07 you can see his mileage plans for the first 17 days of his "hike" (though you must interpolate the first days mileage). If you start doing the math you'll notice the daily mileage figures are roughly the same for northern GA and the Stecoahs/Nantahalas as they are for sections farther north in SNP. At day 15 he's at Tom's Run Shelter, 1084 miles, just short of the midpoint. I suppose he's going to plan on right around 72 miles/day in the Whites and Maine as well.:rolleyes: To really do this he'd need to plan a number of close to 100 mile days on the "easier" or should I say more suitable sections for flat out running that occur in some areas from VA through VT.

He's simply divided up the miles with no allowance for terrain, trail conditions, or footing. What does he think - that the AT is a groomed, graded bridle path suitable for horses like some of the trails out west? He has no clue.

ChinMusic
01-19-2008, 12:29
Anyone have an idea on how much Thompson or Leonard had to eat during those records? I did just a guess in my head and the amount of food was staggering.

ChinMusic
01-19-2008, 12:32
Hey, don't forget there will be a new record this year, come May.

http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7566919

:rolleyes:
OMG, I thought that guy was a troll.

4eyedbuzzard
01-19-2008, 14:51
Anyone have an idea on how much Thompson or Leonard had to eat during those records? I did just a guess in my head and the amount of food was staggering.

I think I remember someone posting in a previous thread something about 13,000 cal/day. That's a LOT of PB, pop-tarts, and gorp!

CrumbSnatcher
01-19-2008, 15:30
ward leonard was a hiker. i think its a fine line when you say fastest thruhikes. anything under 50-60 days(only my opionion)to me is not hiking its a endurance run not a endurance hike. which still is very impressive. staying with the,hike (or run) your own hike.

neighbor dave
01-19-2008, 15:55
:-?speed hikin' ruins the trail, don't do it!:-?

Strategic
01-19-2008, 20:35
Or keep it up on the mountainous terrain and root and rock filled pathway that the AT is in most areas.

We should take bets on this somewhere... http://www.appalachiantrailservices.com/pics/smilies/011.gif

I wouldn't lay a dime on him making it farther than Woody Gap. :rolleyes:

wilconow
01-20-2008, 15:47
I seem to remember reading about a woman setting a record on the LT this past summer.. from nc or virginia maybe? it was posted here i believe.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26915

weary
01-20-2008, 18:05
....Amazing endurance effort: I believe, Ward Leonard did 3 thru-hikes( 2 northbound and 1 southbound) in 1991 and part of a 4th. One took barely longer than his 1990 record since I saw a log book in southern Maine that said that he was on his 58 and 1/3 day. Was he trying to beat that 1990 record or was he just so consistent that his thru-hikes were usually under 70 days?
I believe he was trying to set an endurance record. I met him twice in the so called 100-mile-wilderness. I didn't think much of it, when he passed me going north. I was a bit surprised when he passed me a second time going south a day or two later. He seemed friendly enough to me. But then I'm an extra friendly guy. Or maybe it was just that so many trail register entries bashed him so badly.

I was also working on a record of sorts -- to be the slowest person to thru hike Maine with a 9-year-old in tow. We managed to spend a month and still bypassed a few spots, including Katahdin. It was a pouring rain. The trail was closed. And I had promised my daughter we would get her son back to school on time.

Weary

Wise Old Owl
06-20-2009, 13:49
HHS graduate breaks Appalachian Trail record

http://www.blueridgenow.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=HT&Date=20080819&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=125254&Ref=AR&MaxW=600&border=0 (http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20080819/NEWS/125254?Title=HHS-graduate-breaks-Appalachian-Trail-record#)
Maureen Robinson/Special to the Times-News

Buy photo (http://reprints.hendersonvillenews.com/cgi-bin/fotobroker.cgi?c=latest.htm&a=&op_by_line=contains&by_line=Robinson&b=photo_db&s=&t=&show=3-4)
Jennifer Pharr Davis smiles after completing a 2,175-mile trek of the Appalachian Trail.



By Lindsay Lancaster ([email protected])
Times-News Staff Writer


Published: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 6:23 p.m.
Jennifer Pharr Davis didn’t just make it. She finished in record-setting fashion.

.art_main_pic { width:250px; float:left; clear:left; }
http://www.blueridgenow.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=HT&Date=20080819&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=125254&Ref=H1&MaxW=250&border=0
Click to enlarge (http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20080819/NEWS/125254?Title=HHS-graduate-breaks-Appalachian-Trail-record#)
Buy photo (http://reprints.hendersonvillenews.com/cgi-bin/fotobroker.cgi?c=latest.htm&a=&op_by_line=contains&by_line=CROWELL&b=photo_db&s=&t=&show=3-4)
KNOX CROWELL/ TIMES-NEWS


Saturday afternoon, she smashed the previous women’s record for an assisted through hike of the Appalachian Trail, and she sprinted to the finish line. In the final week of her trek she covered 300 miles — about a third of it running — while averaging less than four hours of sleep a night. She completed the 2,175-mile trail in 57 days, 8 hours and 35 minutes — 30 days faster than any other woman.
“There are only four men that have hiked it faster,” said Davis, 25, the daughter of Yorke and Barbara Pharr.
The 2001 Hendersonville High School graduate set out June 20 at Mt. Katahdin, Maine, and finished at 3 p.m. at Springer Mountain, Ga. She hiked with assistance, carrying only water and snacks, while her husband, Brew, replenished her supplies at road crossings and towns from Maine to Hot Springs. Brew, a teacher in Buncombe County, had to be back at school after that and Jennifer’s father took over the support, running supplies to trail crossroads.
Davis undertook the hike to honor the memory of murder victims Meredith Emerson and John and Irene Bryant, who were killed last year in public forests. A drifter named Gary Michael Hilton pleaded guilty to Emerson’s death in Georgia and has been named as the sole suspect in the death of the Bryants.
“I want people to remember the life and the spirit and the joy of the Hilton victims as opposed to their tragic ending,” Davis said.
She feels Emerson’s fight to survive was ultimately what led authorities to Hilton and is bringing him to justice. “I hope that my hike is in some way a thank you to Meredith for making the woods a safe place.”
Davis paid tribute to Emerson when she hiked on Blood Mountain, Ga., where Emerson was killed.
“We all had a minute to remember Meredith and say how she impacted us and how grateful we were to her and that we hoped we could promote the woods as a safe environment,” Davis says. “That experience probably actually hit me harder than reaching the end because Meredith — her life impacted me so strongly.”
18 hours of running
and hiking
Speaking from her Asheville home Monday morning, Davis was still in her PJs.
“I’m on the couch and I’m watching the Olympics,” she says. “It’s so neat to see the results of hard work and determination.”
She should know.
“Part of me is sad and part of me is happy to be home, and happy to be sitting,” she laughs. “It’s really this torrent of emotions.”
Friday, her second to last day on the trail, Davis hiked 64.8 miles — an unprecedented distance to cover during a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail.
“It’s the longest-known day of any of the record holders,” she says.
When she went to bed the night before, Davis didn’t plan for the next day to be so grueling.
“Even though I was completely exhausted, my mind was racing, and it made sense to just get up and hike,” Davis says, recalling hitting the trail at 3 a.m. and hiking until after 9 p.m.
“It was just time to give it my all, and try to go out with a bang,” she says. “It was one of the hardest days of my life. ... I felt weak and light-headed, and I had a lot of ice cream and Subway sandwiches, and pancakes and bacon to keep me going. It felt right. I was so close.”
Luckily, during that final week of strenuous hiking and running, Davis had several folks join her, including 14-time AT through-hiker Warren Doyle, a professor at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, and David Horton, a professor at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., a former AT record holder (currently has third fastest time) and current Pacific Crest Trail record holder.
Doyle and Horton, two of about seven people in the close-knit Appalachian Trail hiking community who keep track of AT records, have only positive things to say about Davis.
“Her mental approach and emotional approach to the trail, to this endeavor, was just amazing,” Doyle said, describing Davis as a “poetess-gazelle-warrior.” “It is just as remarkable and athletic of an achievement as getting a gold in the Olympics.”
Putting her hike in perspective, the average AT hiker covers 12 to 15 miles per day, roughly six days a week. Davis averaged 37-plus miles per day and took zero days off.
“She averaged three times what the average person does,” Horton said. “She’s just 25. What is she going to do next? ... She is going to have an effect on others.”
Strong memories to last
Davis hiked to the summit of Springer Mountain and the end of the AT with her father, Yorke; her husband, Brew; his parents; and close family friend Maureen Robinson.
“It was really special; we went up in a big group,” she says. “It meant a lot to me to have the people that have been thinking of me and supporting me all summer climb the final mountain with me.”
Her body feels the effects of those 57-plus days of hiking.
“I think mentally, I worked so hard to block out the negative side effects of hiking so far, that when I reached Springer Mountain and finally let my guard down, all the miles and the lack of sleep and the hard work, it just hit like a wave,” she says. “I actually climbed into the car and fell asleep.”
Though exhaustion won’t last, memories of the experience will.
“I’m so proud of what Brew and I did this summer,” Davis says. “It’s something that no one will ever be able to take from us. Our memories of it are so strong.”
Lancaster can be reached at [email protected] ([email protected]).




All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20080819/NEWS/125254?Title=HHS-graduate-breaks-Appalachian-Trail-record

Sour
08-03-2011, 08:48
Woman sets Appalachian Trail fastest-hike record

Jennifer Pharr Davis now holds the record at 46 days 11 hours and 20 minutes - amazing!

http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-08-02-Appalachian%20Trail-Speed%20Record/id-62d39c9e9c3148ca8b954e7fe851b935

Sly
08-03-2011, 09:38
Snorkel also set a women's record this year, traditional unsupported thru-hike. ~80 days

Brewerbob
08-03-2011, 12:07
Didn't read any of page 2 but is there a consensus on hike vs endurance runner? I knew a guy when I lived in SC that did 100 mile runs. Never saw him in action but he said he averaged 8 minute miles. From the size of his calves, I don't doubt it. He was at least 10 yrs my senior and his calves were literally almost as big as my thighs.

I dunno if those guys can do the same on changing terrain or day after day but doesn't sound unreasonable at all.

BobTheBuilder
08-03-2011, 13:01
I think we need to keep a Men's category in the non-existent record books, because there is no way we're going to beat Ms. Davis.

Sly
08-03-2011, 13:21
I think we need to keep a Men's category in the non-existent record books, because there is no way we're going to beat Ms. Davis.

LOL... You may be right.

jbwood5
08-03-2011, 13:50
Didn't read any of page 2 but is there a consensus on hike vs endurance runner? I knew a guy when I lived in SC that did 100 mile runs. Never saw him in action but he said he averaged 8 minute miles. From the size of his calves, I don't doubt it. He was at least 10 yrs my senior and his calves were literally almost as big as my thighs.

I dunno if those guys can do the same on changing terrain or day after day but doesn't sound unreasonable at all.

It would be unlikely that a person who trains for 100 mile trail runs would be able to maintain mileage anywhere close to that day after day on the AT. Now if I heard of a person who routinely thru hikes and also does 100 mile runs, I might say that he or she has a shot at it. Hiker and Ultra trail runner Nature Boy tried to make an unsupported attempt this year but ran into some bad luck. He is a pretty good 100 mile runner, having completed both the Pinhotti Trail 100 and the GUTS 100 ran in heavy rain and mud earlier this year.
I believe both David Horton and Andrew Thompson were 100 mile trail runners as well.

I'm of the opinion that women are better suited for this type of event. It does not take brute strength, but rather a slender build, persistant training, fairly high metabolism, lots of patience, high pain tolerance, extreme determination, and the ability to plan and pace. Jen's decision to speed walk most of the trail was a key factor in making this a success. I believe the body has a built in ability to completely heal and rebuild any muscle damage when walking, but has a much more difficult time handling muscle breakdown while running, even if there is more rest time.

weary
08-03-2011, 14:15
I thought it was 61 days for Leonard, I guess it depends on how you calculate it. I'd come up with this same answer from another source when this question was asked a while ago over on TJ. What I turned up in the process were several people who had know the man on the trail. Let's just say that his trailname was "Spooky Boy" and leave it at that.;)
His trail name was Ward Leonard. He was much maligned on the trail, by those who couldn't stand anyone with a medical problem.

max patch
08-03-2011, 14:39
I'm of the opinion that women are better suited for this type of event. It does not take brute strength, but rather a slender build, persistant training, fairly high metabolism, lots of patience, high pain tolerance, extreme determination, and the ability to plan and pace.

Shhhh....don't tell the Kenyans about the record or the non-existent record book (good one bob the builder) will need an "American" category.

jbwood5
08-03-2011, 15:04
Shhhh....don't tell the Kenyans about the record or the non-existent record book (good one bob the builder) will need an "American" category.

I actually don't think they (Kenyans) would be good at rugged long distance endurance events. We rarely see them in 100 mile trail running events (of course there is no prize money). So far, the closest we have are the Tarahumara Natives from Mexico (a native Indian running tribe by culture), and even they rarely win any 100 mile trail runs against the best US and/or European long distance trail runners.

The Kenyans are all about speed in flat terrain and that's where they excel.

Brewerbob
08-04-2011, 08:54
I actually don't think they (Kenyans) would be good at rugged long distance endurance events. We rarely see them in 100 mile trail running events (of course there is no prize money). So far, the closest we have are the Tarahumara Natives from Mexico (a native Indian running tribe by culture), and even they rarely win any 100 mile trail runs against the best US and/or European long distance trail runners.

The Kenyans are all about speed in flat terrain and that's where they excel.The Kenyans are all lungs and legs. That's exactly the build you need for an AT thru run.

Hmm, maybe I'll find me some Kenyans and cross breed them with sherpas from Chile. Team Bob shall crush you all!!

Kiyu
08-04-2011, 13:11
I'm of the opinion that women are better suited for this type of event. It does not take brute strength, but rather a slender build, persistant training, fairly high metabolism, lots of patience, high pain tolerance, extreme determination, and the ability to plan and pace.

I'm sure it was not intentional but you left out being smarter.

Kiyu

And no, the wife did not make me write that.
Ok, ok. I will smash myself in the forehead 5 times with a 16 oz. beer can as penance.....empty of course.

Walking Thunderbird
08-07-2011, 01:52
So the unsupported men's record supposedly is 61 days. Is this just a rumor or can someone confirm this?

I did a SOBO thru hike (my first long-distance hike of any kind) a couple years ago in 74-75 days, so I've been kicking around the idea of maybe attempting to do sub-60 days at some point in the next few years. I understand that 60 days is insane, but I definitely think that there's some room for cutting enough time off my previous days, given the experience I gained the first time through. Last time, I did late July - mid October, so I started running out of daylight toward the end of the trip, which slowed me down a lot (and I didn't hike much after dark). I'm wondering what the optimal direction (NOBO or SOBO) and the optimal start date would be for such a trip (given daylight and weather). Thoughts?

Grampie
08-07-2011, 10:19
Let's stop calling these record attempts thru hikes. They are not thru-hikes they are endurance events. So, let's start calling them just that.
Leave the term, "thru-hike" to the folks who do just that with nothing at stake more than getting to the end and enjoying the experience.

bobqzzi
08-07-2011, 10:54
Let's stop calling these record attempts thru hikes. They are not thru-hikes they are endurance events. So, let's start calling them just that.
Leave the term, "thru-hike" to the folks who do just that with nothing at stake more than getting to the end and enjoying the experience.

That makes no sense at all.

CrumbSnatcher
08-07-2011, 10:55
a thruhike is a completion of the trail in one journey,so i'd call them thruhikes.

Grampie
08-07-2011, 11:01
a thruhike is a completion of the trail in one journey,so i'd call them thruhikes.

You can call it what you want, and I'll call it what I want.:rolleyes:

Trailbender
08-07-2011, 11:08
Let's stop calling these record attempts thru hikes. They are not thru-hikes they are endurance events. So, let's start calling them just that.
Leave the term, "thru-hike" to the folks who do just that with nothing at stake more than getting to the end and enjoying the experience.

I don't see it as a "real" thru hike either, with the massive amount of support. I do think it was a hell of an endurance test, and an amazing achievement, and being able to hike all day without worrying about pack weight would be great. Once I got in shape, I might be able to swing 40s every day with no pack, not sure about 50s though. I have leg and knee problems as well, so I couldn't do it because of physical limitations.

bobqzzi
08-07-2011, 11:31
You can call it what you want, and I'll call it what I want.:rolleyes:

Well, that's fair enough, but if that is your position, why did your previous post say "Let's stop calling these record attempts thru hikes" ? If your going to proclaim that other people shouldn't call Jen's accomplishment a thru-hike, you need to to provide some sort of logical reasoning rather than immediately run for cover with "You can call it what you want, and I'll call it what I want"

slow
08-08-2011, 00:25
WARD was on drugs.His hist shows this due to mental health.SO when one can show he did not take DRUGS on his thrus...he dont count bottom line.

fiddlehead
08-08-2011, 00:51
All hikers take drugs.
At least all the one's that I've ever met.
Personally, I don't take Ibuprofen anymore myself, just aspirin now a days.
But I used to.

Mags
08-08-2011, 00:55
Let's stop calling these record attempts thru hikes. They are not thru-hikes they are endurance events. So, let's start calling them just that.
Leave the term, "thru-hike" to the folks who do just that with nothing at stake more than getting to the end and enjoying the experience.

Please read the sticky. :) This forum is not to debate the validity of a endurance hike anymore than the Dog Forum is to debate if dogs should be allowed on the trail.

I appreciate your cooperation.

Thanks! :)


All hikers take drugs.
At least all the one's that I've ever met.
Personally, I don't take Ibuprofen anymore myself, just aspirin now a days.
But I used to.

I started off today with a large mug of coffee (caffeine!)

I'm drinking a beer right now.
After a mainly off trail hike with two 13ers, alpine lakes and some hard core 'schwacking I need it. :)
Of course I have endorphins running through my systems because it was such an awesome day.


So that's THREE DRUGS. ;)

Brewerbob
08-08-2011, 08:56
Well, that's fair enough, but if that is your position, why did your previous post say "Let's stop calling these record attempts thru hikes" ? If your going to proclaim that other people shouldn't call Jen's accomplishment a thru-hike, you need to to provide some sort of logical reasoning rather than immediately run for cover with "You can call it what you want, and I'll call it what I want"She ran. But according to the dictionary (1b) I guess I've hiked TO Europe.
































Definition of HIKEintransitive verb
1
a : to go on a hike
b : to travel by any means

2
: to rise up; especially : to work upward out of place <skirt had hiked up in back>

transitive verb
1
a : to move, pull, or raise with a sudden motion <hiked himself onto the top bunk> b : snap (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/snap) 6b c : to raise in amount sharply or suddenly <hike rents>

2
: to take on a hike

3
: to traverse on a hike <hike a trail>



1run verb \ˈrən\
ran\ˈran\ also chiefly dialect runrunrun·ning
































Definition of RUNintransitive verb
1
a : to go faster than a walk; specifically : to go steadily by springing steps so that both feet leave the ground for an instant in each step

Pedaling Fool
08-08-2011, 09:45
Problem with the dictionary is that they're always changing the definition. Bunch of **** :eek:

Pedaling Fool
08-08-2011, 09:46
I should of known they'd put that word on the bad-words list:rolleyes: