I learned about this trail when my wife and I were browsing the FKT website and came upon Daniel and Eli's new route. After watching a couple of YouTube videos that showcase the trail and looking over sections on AllTrails, I decided to give it a go. We parked in a roadside spot just across the bridge around 3:50pm EDT and made our way to the southern trailhead. I started at 4:04pm EDT with a primary goal of running the route in under three hours. I thought this would be challenging but attainable at my current fitness level.
This trail is quite runnable end-to-end. The trail is well marked, but if it's your first time here (as it was for me), it's easy to miss some of the markers on the road sections. I didn't lose too much time finding my way, though, and at the turnaround point I found myself slightly ahead of my goal pace, assuming an even split. My pace ended up fading slightly towards the end of the return trip, but I managed to squeak in the finish just under my goal. I probably scared an innocent family at the playground near the trailhead as I came in huffing and puffing with seconds to spare. I carried two 22oz handheld bottles with electrolyte mix and four gels for this effort.
Overall, this was a fun way to explore a new (to me) trail, and I'm happy with the effort. Thanks to Daniel and Eli for adding this route.