My friend Jeff Theis planned an attempt at the Manhattan Loop FKT, aiming to break 3 hours for the roughly 30-mile route. I was about to go on vacation and felt very fit after a strong winter and spring of training, so the timing aligned perfectly for a “peak” effort before taking time off. I joined Jeff for the attempt, with Jordan Isaacs supporting us on a bike and carrying water and carbs. We met just before 9:00 AM on the west side and started running north at 9:07. Although rain had been in the forecast, the conditions turned out to be ideal with cloudy skies, a light southern breeze, and temperatures around 60°F.
We covered just over 10 miles in the first hour while feeling comfortable and clearing most of the major hills. At 20 miles, we were just under two hours, hit the marathon mark in 2:36, and passed 30 miles under 3 hours. However, our route ended up being slightly long (30.68 miles), and we missed the sub-3 goal by a couple of minutes. I consumed 270 grams of carbs throughout the run, which helped me push for my fastest mile at mile 30 in 5:27. In the end, both of us ran faster than the previous FKT, and I’m confident a true sub-3 effort is within reach.