Appalachian Trail speed record: Scott Jurek hikes in 46 days – Edge

It only took 2,189 miles to get there.

If all goes to plan, Scott Jurek, the Boulder resident many believe is the greatest ultrarunner of all time, will reach Mount Katahdin in central Maine on Sunday afternoon, completing the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail faster than anyone in history.

Now imagine completing the trek in only 46 days.

Jurek reached the trail head on Mount Katahdin shortly after 2 p.m., completing his hike in 46 days, eight hours and eight minutes, as mentioned by Twitter accounts.

Jurek, 41, averaged about 47 miles a day on his journey, which started May 27th.

Runner’s World describes Jurek as one of the most dominant ultramarathoners in the world.

Jurek is no stranger to long distances. He also holds two titles from the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile course that markets itself as “the world’s toughest footrace”.

Jennifer Pharr Davis, an American long-distance runner, is the previous holder of the Appalachian Trail record, which she set in 2011 in 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes when she was 28 years old.

“While a main goal is to complete the trail in record time”, Jurek said, “my main goal is to inspire others to explore the outdoors and their own personal and life goals”. Besides sore muscles, his name will be added to the Appalachian Trail lore of fastest known times, or FKTs, Runner’s World notes.

“During his journey, Jurek experienced a knee injury on Day 7, stifling heat and humidity in the mid-Atlantic states, the rainiest June in Vermont in 130 years, and challenging footing and steep climbs and descents in New Hampshire and Maine”, Bob Najar wrote Sunday for the blog iRunFar.com.

The trek wasn’t done alone. Jurek is a vegetarian and author of “Eat & Run”. “I would say this is going to be my masterpiece”.