This spring, Burgeon athlete Will Peterson will attempt the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Appalachian Trail.
Before heading to Springer Mountain in Georgia, Will shares the story of how the idea took hold and why he feels compelled to try.
I first discovered Fastest Known Times (FKTs) shortly after thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2019.
It felt like a revelation. The format combined competition, self-challenge, and the kind of adventure that drew me to the outdoors in the first place. Inevitably, I was drawn to the records set on the Appalachian Trail, and through that discovery I was introduced to what I believe is one of the greatest endurance feats of all time.
The story that stuck with me
In the summer of 2017, Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy set out with nothing but a backpack and a dream of being the fastest to ever hike the Appalachian Trail.
The year before, Karl Meltzer, the self-proclaimed “winningest 100-mile trail runner on earth,” had set the AT record on his third attempt, beating renowned ultrarunner Scott Jurek. Both Jurek and Meltzer completed their FKTs with support crews.
Stringbean didn’t.
He slept under a tarp on a foam sleeping pad. He treated his own blisters, filtered his own water, and carried the 8,000–12,000 calories he needed each day. He resupplied from boxes he had mailed to locations along the trail.
Despite those challenges, he averaged nearly 50 miles a day and beat Karl Meltzer’s time by about 10 hours, setting a new overall Appalachian Trail FKT.
The question I couldn’t shake
Learning about that effort left me awe-struck.
A backpacker taking down supported and decorated professionals on perhaps the most prized trail-running record in the world? It was hard to wrap my head around. I became obsessed with the record and with the idea of racing the Appalachian Trail. I hoped that someday I might do something remotely as impressive as what Stringbean did on the AT.
It became the athletic pinnacle for me.
With limited time, I chased shorter FKTs on the New Hampshire 4,000-Footers and the Long Trail, once even racing against Stringbean’s unsupported Long Trail record. The question of “can I do something like what he did on the AT? “only grew louder as time went on.
Somewhere deep in the back of my mind, I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied until I had the chance to try and either fail or succeed on the AT.
Why now
Seven years after I first hiked the trail, that opportunity has finally presented itself.
I will graduate from medical school in a few weeks, and my time will soon become far more restricted as I enter medical residency. Entering the medical field is an incredible honor, and it’s a stage of life I’m excited to begin.
But the question about the AT has never gone away.
Luckily, I don’t have to push it aside any longer.
On April 28th, I’ll head north from Springer Mountain in Georgia with nothing but a backpack and the dream of being the fastest to ever hike the Appalachian Trail.
One way or another, I’ll finally get my answer.
And I’m honestly a little terrified of what I might discover.
Follow the journey
Daily updates starting April 28
Instagram: @_will.peterson
