Tara Dower Sets Overall Fastest Known Time on Appalachian Trail

[Ear Drum]

Tara Dower has completed the AT in 40 days, 18 hours and 6 minutes, setting a new overall record (for both men and women, and NOBO / SOBO), beating the old record by 13 hours. Quite an impressive feat of endurance, grit, planning, and logistics. Congratulations!

We almost met Dower at her start in Baxter SP. On Sunday August 11 we climbed Katahdin Baxter and Hamlin peaks via Roaring Brook, then returned by late evening to our lean-to at Abol Campground. In the next site there was a large sprinter van with text on the back about her FKT attempt, website etc., and the fundraiser for empowering girls with physical activity. We slept in a little that Monday morning, but I heard them leave quite early, and the attempt was on. Should've gotten up to wish her well on the journey.

Link to her FKT AT page:
https://fastestknowntime.com/fkt/tara-dower-appalachian-trail-2024-09-21
This includes a link to her Strava, if you wish to see what she did each day.

Insta:
https://www.instagram.com/tara.dower/
https://www.instagram.com/chumpchangefkt/

Press and media coverage:
https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trai...rall-fastest-known-time-on-appalachian-trail/

"2,189 Miles, 40 Days, and 3 Showers: How Tara Dower Destroyed the Appalachian Trail Speed Record"
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a62330229/tara-dower-appalachian-trail-record/

Photo by Scott Benerofe, from her instagram:

 

[Rhody Seth]

An incredible feat! The times just get faster and faster. And she got it in just under the wire with all the hurricane devastation.

 

[hikeritz]

A very impressive feat of endurance and logistics (pacers?), and great that it was a fundraiser for a good cause. But I'd be just as impressed if someone thru-hiked the AT carrying all of their own gear, didn't take any zeros, and slept on the trail each night. Note that the Appalachian Trail Conservancy doesn't recognize any AT speed records: they prefer to focus on the unique experience each hiker has on the trail rather than keeping track of fastest times.

 

[Rhody Seth]

A very impressive feat of endurance and logistics (pacers?), and great that it was a fundraiser for a good cause. But I'd be just as impressed if someone thru-hiked the AT carrying all of their own gear, didn't take any zeros, and slept on the trail each night.

That would be the self-supported FKT time which currently stands at 45d17h set by Stringbean McConaughy in 2017.

 

[Lone Stranger]

That would be the self-supported FKT time which currently stands at 45d17h set by Stringbean McConaughy in 2017.

As a firm believer in using mail drops for long hikes this guy is my hero I don't go fast, but sending boxes as close to the trail as possible and walking to them one by one is my preferred way to hike. Thankfully I am not setting records so my wife can throw in the cheese just before she takes them to the PO, but I pack all my boxes before I go.

 

[DayTrip]

All of these hikes are impressive but I am always far more impressed by the self supported ones. I feel like those are the only ones worthy of recognition.

 

[hikeritz]

He did it unsupported in just 5 days more than Tara, and refused car rides to pick up supplies. Were those resupply hikes included in his total time? If so, his time on the trail might be close to hers (or less).

 

[Lone Stranger]

He did it unsupported in just 5 days more than Tara, and refused car rides to pick up supplies. Were those resupply hikes included in his total time? If so, his time on the trail might be close to hers (or less).

He was very strategic about where those boxes were. That is why I'm more impressed with what he did than what she did. It took a lot of thought before he started. Then being self supported not only means say no to rides, it means saying no to trail magic and no pacers. You have to hike alone because someone walking with you counts as support. The mental aspect of distance hiking is always more important than the physical, but doing it alone adds a lot to the challenge.

 

[ImYourHuckleberry]

He did it unsupported in just 5 days more than Tara, and refused car rides to pick up supplies. Were those resupply hikes included in his total time? If so, his time on the trail might be close to hers (or less).

It always blows my mind when somebody unsupported breaks the overall FKT for these long distance trails. I believe Anish set several overall FKTs going unsupported as well. (Those are since broken, same as Stringbean, but still very impressive statements.)