FKT: Sam Stevens - Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Segment 7 (NC) - 2024-01-13

Athletes
Route variation
point-to-point
Multi-sport
No
Gender category
Male
Style
Unsupported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
8h 7m 9s
GPS track(s)
Photos
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I stashed my bike at hanging rock at 7AM then drove to the Corridor trail where I started my run around 8AM. I took 2 500ml flasks but started with only about 250ml total to make it to the fill up at a campground 10-11 miles in. Basically from pilot mtn to hanging rock, there were plenty of water sources to filter, but since we had a few big rain storms lately most of it was pretty silty so I had to be picky. In my opinion the best 2 places to get water on the trail are the first one I mentioned at the pilot campground, and the second being a stream at the bridge just as you start ascending hanging rock. 

I Started off with a consistent running pace I was happy with for the first 20 or so miles and then began slowing down and doing a mix of hiking and running the rest of the way to hanging rock state park. with 2.5 miles left coming up the back side of hanging rock I hit a pretty big wall. I was doing such a slow pace uphill I admitted I no longer had a shot at the FKT. So I sat down for a full 10 minutes and enjoyed a little debbie cookie. There must have been some magic in that cookie, because I got up feeling totally different. I was able to pick up my hiking speed, then did a little running, and before I knew it I was at the top of hanging rock where I booked it to the bottom with a minute to spare.

I'm not much of a photo taker and for whatever reason I could only attach one. This is me at the end in the heated bathroom at hanging rock waiting for my wife to rescue me from doing a 25 mile night ride in the January wind.