Description: The Mahoosuc Traverse is arguably the most rugged 50k in the Northeast. It runs point-to-point from Grafton Notch State Park in Maine to Gotham, New Hampshire over grueling terrain, including the hardest mile on the Appalachian Trail, Mahoosuc Notch. Going south, the route travels the AT from the Old Speck parking lot all the way to Mt. Hayes, there splitting onto the Mahoosuc Trail for a handful of miles to get down into Gorham. There is very little flat running on the route, and both the climbs and descents are steep and technical. The middle of the Traverse is a relentless rollercoaster, going up and down 500-1000ft at a time, in and out of alpine zone. Even the big bridge sections can be punishing as the trail has reclaimed many, and runners can end up knee deep in mud when they mean to step on wood. Runners get to enjoy incredible views on the tops of a few of these alpine peaks, including Goose Eye, Mt. Carlo, and Mt. Success.
Status: The Mahoosuc Traverse is the #9 Northeast FKT. It is best practice to announce your attempt in advance, track your attempt diligently (GPS upload), and live-track your attempt if possible.
Support Style: The Traverse is traditionally run unsupported, with only one FKT being set in a self-supported manner. This makes sense because the trail is rather difficult to access for any crew or to stash gear bags, and Gentian Pond sits in the middle of the route as a suitable water source.
Route History: The bulk of the FKT was cleared in the early 1900s by the Appalachian Mountain Club, and speed runs began shortly after in 1927. From 1927-1950 (at least) the record hovered around 10 hours, still a stout run by today’s standards. In 1958, Chris Goetze ran a legendary FKT, notching 8:06, while stopping for 10 minutes to cook a steak at Gentian Pond. Goetze tragically passed away just weeks after his run, and subsequent FKT runners have paid homage to his run and his steak since. The FKT was not lowered until 2014 when Ben Nephew and Ryan Welts ran 20 minutes faster than Chris. The FKT has improved only modestly since, and stands at only 50 minutes faster than Chris’ 1958 run. The thin FKT board might suggest that the Traverse is less competitive than other routes with similar history and aesthetic appeal, but that idea is likely a fallacy. There are a few things that are true about the Traverse: there are many documented failed attempts by strong northeast athletes, the logistics of a remote point to point run likely scare some runners off, and the difficulty of the Notch filters out great athletes who are unwilling or unable to take risks to match the FKT’s speed. A final truth: the standing record is exceptionally fast, if deceptively so.
Media Coverage:
- Ben Nephew discussed his 2014 FKT on his blog
- Scarpa created a short video on Hillary Gerardo’s 2022 FKT.
Route Variations: While the route is normally run southbound, FKTs may be set in either direction and are categorized the same way (premier variant).
It is now possible to "close the loop" in a Picnic variant where you can bike back to you start using route 26 and Hgw 2 - or the parallel North Rd - along Androcoggin river.
There is also an out-and-back variant for a 100 k yo-yo option.
Ben Nephew posted the route with a little FKT history:
The Mahoosuc Traverse is a rugged 31 mile section of the Appalachian Trail from Grafton Notch in Maine to Gorham,NH. The trail is remote, includes almost 11k of climb, and is almost all technical singletrack. The Mahoosuc notch is known as the hardest single mile of the AT. The FKT route, as established in the early 1900's, stays on the Mahoosuc trail to Hogan road in Gorham and then continues for a mile on dirt roads to the parking area on route 16. The historical route was 29 miles due to a more direct trail up Old Speck mountain in Grafton Notch.
In 1927, Bob Monahan completed the route in 10:27.
That time stood until August 28, 1958, when Chris Goetze ran 8:06:30.
On September 7th, 2014, Ryan Welts and I ran 7:45:17.
www.strava.com/activities/191482353
A full report can be found:
mountainpeakfitness.com/blog/2014-welts-nephew-mahoosuc-traverse-fkt
Ben Nephew
Comments
I'll be giving this route a shot on Saturday (7/18/20)Â to establish a NoBo FKT, almost definitely several hours slower than the fine gentlemen listed above.Â
Curious what made Neil's trip self supported vs unsupported? Didn't see it in his notes.Â
I will be doing this route Wednesday sept 16 starting at 6am.Â
Important addendum to my FKT report, which I forgot to add before hitting submit:
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The Mahoosuc Range, Grafton Notch, the Bear River valley, and other parts of the Androscoggin watershed lie in the unceded ancestral lands of the Abenaki people and the Wabanaki Confederacy.Â
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I love and value the process of pushing myself hard in these mountains, but with the cataloguing of FKTs, it is important that we remember that any ethos of "conquering" these sacred places is illusory and in opposition to the sort of relationship that indigenous people have had with this land for all of human memory and beyond.Â
Just a note for anyone checking out my splits -- I wrote my splits in my recap based on my strava file -- but realized those times are based on "running time" not "elapsed time." If you are planning an effort, feel free to reach out to me and I can share the splits pulled from the suunto gpx file (the early ones are accurate but the later ones are off).Â
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I strongly encourage anyone interested to get out and give it a go! The Mahoosucs are phenomenal!
Hi Y’all
Quick question, I just completed a Yo-Yo version of the Mahoosuc Traverse that started and ended in Gorham. I know the single traverse already exists but does the double up exist S well? I couldn’t really find much on if anyone attempted it before? Â
Someone told me I should go on here to ask if I submit an entry.
ThanksÂ