Fastest Known Podcast

Toxic water, wind storms, poisonous gas – Death Valley lives up to its name. Or at least that’s what Cameron Hummels learned while attempting the 160-mile Death Valley North to South Crossing in February. 

Last fall, Art Brody set the unsupported record on the Arizona Trail. Yes, the unsupported record. This means he traversed over 800 miles of desert, mountains, and canyons with absolutely no outside help. No trail magic beer. No water from caches. No food resupplies, or the reassurance of picking up new gear if something breaks. He even had to pack out all of his trash.

The hurdles associated with this unsupported attempt began before Art even started. Just to step foot on the trail, Art had to shoulder his 87-pound pack.  

It’s no secret that the FKT craze has skyrocketed over the past few years. What started as a niche concept relegated to the most quirky of already quirky mountaineers and thru-hikers has spread to every corner of the earth, garnering mainstream attention and sponsor support along the way. While the FKT community remains objectively fringe and tight-knit, it’s also somewhat unrecognizable from the obscure motley crew it once was. 

You’re in for a treat this week with not one but two AT record holders! Fresh off her Pinhoti Trail self-supported record, Liz “Mercury” Derstine sits down with host Heather “Anish” Anderson to talk all things record-breaking on the east coast. Liz delves into why she was more intimidated by the 348-mile Pinhoti Trail through Alabama and Georgia than by embarking on the entire Appalachian Trail. She dishes out the challenges she faced on the Pinhoti Trail, and how she managed to surmount them to break Katherine Baird’s self-supported record by three days.

We’ve got a juicy episode for you today. Host Heather Anderson catches up with Witt Wisebram, who’s going after the self-supported FKT on the Pacific Crest Trail (aka PCT)… a record currently held by Heather herself. Will Heather dish out all of her secrets? Tune in to find out!

Anton was our very first podcast, 3 1/2 years ago!  He was very articulate even back then: 

"Sometimes being successful means getting back to the car. Alive."

He was also Episode 127 last year:

"I don't identify with any one sport - it's about the pure experience"

Tyler twice ran in the Olympic Marathon Trials, and now runs up the biggest mountains in South America.  From a 2:15 marathon to climbing Aconcagua (22,841') in 3:32.

"A big reason I went to Aconcagua is because that is where the best guys go."

No kidding: the legendary Bruno Brnod still has the fastest round trip from basecamp, Kilian Jornet had an FKT before Karl Egloff (#1 FKTOY in 2019 on Denali) broke it, and now Tyler has the Ascent FKT from both Base Camp and the Trailhead (13,838' of vert).  

Listener Suggestion: "Can you please get Nick Elson the podcast!? He's quiet and humble; if obliterating a classic FKT on Vancouver Islands highest peak doesn't grab attention, then taking down Dean Potters Half Dome FKT has to!!!

Allie Mac flies down the trails (USATF Trail Marathon Champion 2 years in a row) and in the air (300 skydiving jumps).  And did we mention riding dirt bikes?

"It was super technical. So I revved the engine, closed my eyes, and took off."

"I've gotten hurt way more times from running than from sky diving."

At the Moab Trail Marathon in November, her BASE-jumping friends were on the cliffs high above the course as she went by the halfway point.

John lives in Australia, where the whole country is sports-mad, the runners are fast, the routes long ... and it's now summer.

"Normally it's starting to get hot, 40 degrees, but it's a La Nina year so it's raining now and the conditions are still good."