Just barely got under Matz and Ghelfi's record today, stopping the clock in 7:28:15, unsupported on a day with nearly perfect conditions. GPS data here: www.strava.com/activities/401822256
Physically this was a brutal day. Whether it was me or the nature of the trail, I never found a rhythm and struggled for the final 20 miles, flirting with giving it up due to knee pain. Still, I was invested so continued on, watching the clock and constantly calculating whether it was doable. In fact, I never really did stop calculating until the final meters since it was so close to the previous record! Started and finished at Timberline Lodge. Also had a mishap (just like last year!) around Newton Creek. Someone is going to hit this trail just right and take a big chunk out of the record soon. Such a privilege to get out there and enjoy this trail.