Route: Long Trail (VT)

ADMIN NOTE: This is a Premier Route - read the Guidelines. You must announce your attempt in advance, and track your attempt diligently; live-tracking is recommended for Premier Routes.

“The Long Trail: Where even the downhills are uphill.” - Alicia Hudelson

Description: The Long Trail in Vermont runs 272 miles from the MA/VT border to Canada, along the spine of the Green Mountains. It traverses most of the largest mountains in Vermont, directly summiting or coming within 0.2 miles of summiting all five of the 4,000 foot peaks in Vermont. Along with towering mountains, you’ll find quiet dirt roads, pristine remote lakes and ponds, and 70+ backcountry campsites and shelters.

The southernmost 105 miles of the Long Trail are concurrent with the Appalachian Trail. This section of the Long Trail has more infrastructure, you’re likely to see many more hikers, and it is generally considered easier terrain than the northern section of the trail. This part of the trail is still rugged, however, and summits multiple ski resorts including Bromley, Stratton, and Killington. At the Maine Junction, the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail split: the Appalachian Trail continues eastward towards New Hampshire, and the Long Trail continues approximately 167 miles north to the Canadian border. This section of trail is generally considered to be more rugged and remote, summiting several notable mountains such as Mt. Abraham, Mt. Ellen, Mt. Mansfield, Camel’s Hump, and Jay Peak. The Long Trail is notoriously wet and muddy, earning the nickname “Ver-mud” from Appalachian Trail thru-hikers.

The Long Trail has a solid history in the Fastest Known Time Of the Year Awards:

• 2018: Alyssa Godesky, #1 Female (supported)

• 2019: Nika Meyers, #3 Female (unsupported)

• 2019: Jeff Garmire, #4 Male (unsupported)

• 2020: Joe McConaughy; #2 Male (self-supported)

• 2021: Mikaela Osler, #2 Female (unsupported)

• 2021: Ben Feinson, Top 10 Male (supported)

• 2022: Liz Derstine; #5 Female (self-supported)

Support Style: Supported, self-supported, and unsupported variations of the Long Trail all have significant history.

Route History: Conceived in 1909 by James P. Taylor, the Long Trail was built by the Green Mountain Club (GMC) from 1910-1930. In the beginning the GMC only had a couple dozen members who pain-stakingly cut out the path through the wilderness. Today, the GMC has over 10,000 members, and they work to maintain the Long Trail along with the Green Mountain National Forest, State of Vermont, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and private landowners. 

The Long Trail is the oldest continuous long-distance footpath in the United States, and as such it has a rich history of hikes of all lengths and speeds. According to the Green Mountain Club, hundreds of people set out to thru-hike the Long Trail each year, and tens of thousands more visit the trail in some capacity. The Long Trail also served as the inspiration for the Appalachian Trail; while helping with the construction of the Long Trail on Stratton Mountain in 1909, Benton MacKaye had his first ideas for what would ultimately become the Appalachian Trail, which would be completed in 1937, seven years after the completion of the Long Trail. 

Speed efforts on the Long Trail date back to its very founding. Irving Appleby is the first known person to race the Long Trail all the way back in 1926 and 1927. He raced the Long Trail a few years before the trail was even completely finished; at the time the trail ended in North Troy but did not quite extend all the way to the Canadian border. It is safe to say that the Long Trail has one of the oldest history of speed attempts of any trail out there.

Media Coverage:

1. John Kelly’s 2023 supported FKT in Trail Runner Magazine

2. Will  Peterson’s 2023 unsupported FKT in Outside Magazine

3. Liz Derstine’s 2022 self-supported FKT with the Green Mountain Club

4. Mikaela Osler’s 2021 unsupported FKT with the Green Mountain Club

5. Ben Feinson’s 2021 supported FKT in Vermont Public

6. Joe McConaughy’s 2020 self-supported FKT in Trail Runner Magazine

7. Nika Meyers’ 2019 unsupported FKT in Vermont Sports

8. Jeff Garmire’s 2019 unsupported FKT in Vermont Sports

9. Alyssa Godesky’s 2018 supported FKT in ESPN

10. Nikki Kimball’s 2012 supported FKT was documented in the film  "Finding Traction"

11. Travis Wildeboer’s 2010 unsupported FKT in Ski-Hi News

12. Jonathan Basham’s 2009 supported FKT in Runner's World

13. Ted Keizer’s 2004 supported FKT in the Rutland Herald

Route Variations: There are no directional route variations for the Long Trail. Although the majority of recent records have been run north to south, the Long Trail can be raced in either direction.

Duxbury Road - Lincoln Gap: We also have a variation for this challenging 30-mile section of the LT which includes the Monroe Skyline. This part of the LT includes three of Vermont's five 4,000 footers: Camel's Hump (4,081'), Mt. Ellen(4,081'), and Mt. Abraham (4,016'). The Green Mountain Club's Long Trail Guide calculates the mileage for this point to point section at 30.4 miles, and there is more than 11,500 feet of elevation gain.