Paul Cuthbert blew away all previous FKTs for the AAWT, completing the route in 11d18h during March 14-26, 2016, as reported below. Cuthbert started with Tom Brazier, but Brazier had to pull out due to injury. Below, Brazier calls the trip "unsupported", but says drop boxes were used, which technically would put in our "self supported" category - a style typically used for long thru-hikes. This time beats Beau Miles fully supported time from 5 years previous.
Tom Brazier reported:
Paul Cuthbert from Canberra set an unsupported time of 11 days 18hrs in 2016. Started in Walhalla at 7am on Mon 14 March. Finished at Namadgi Visitors' Centre 1am Sat 26 March.
30L day pack, lightweight gear, camping in bivy bags, drop boxes at Hotham/Taylor's Crossing/Dead Horse Gap/Kiandra.
More info available here - www.facebook.com/aawtultra/
SPOT tracker data - www.strava.com/activities/526749996
Paul Cuthbert reported:
Paul Cuthbert completed the AAWT in 11 days 18 hours on Sat 26th March 2016. Paul started with Tom Brazier in Walhalla on Monday 14th March 7am. Tom unfortunately had to pull out shortly after Hotham at Pole 333 due to an Achilles injury. Paul continued and finished shortly after 1am on Sat 26th. The trip was recorded using a SPOT tracker plus GPS watch. Lots more info available on our Facebook page facebook.com/aawtultra
Comments
The hardest section and first 240km were completed with the company of Tom Brazier as mentioned above.
If applying the current FKT guidelines and using Killian's 2013 Mont Blanc FKT as precedence, when a team sets out and then a team member(s) drops out of an unsupported or self-supported effort, the effort is no longer considered unsupported or self-supported. The continuing athlete(s) benefitted from some type of 'support' (emotional or physical) and the effort can therefore only be recognised as supported.
This was queried with the regional FKT editor. It was decided that it was not appropriate to retrospectively amend this record (hence this comment).
No person (identified on the FKT page) has completed the AAWT individually from start to finish in a self-supported or unsupported manner to date (14/2/2025).
Notwithstanding, Pauls effort is hugely impressive and regardless of its categorisation would be the overall FKT on the AAWT at the time.
This comment comes from a place of trying to understand permissibility and precedence in applying the FKT guidelines, not trying to detract from any historic efforts.