Scott Jurek Breaks Appalachian Trail Speed Record

Scott Jurek is a ultramarathoner and a best selling author. On July 12, 2015 he made history. Jurek completed the entire Appalachian Trail in 46 days, 8 hours, and 7 minutes. That’s the fastest time ever and it’s really, really fast.

The Appalachian Trail, or AT, goes from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. It covers 2,289 miles, crosses 14 states, and ascends 515,000 feet. Jurek enjoy a well-deserved drink of champagne upon completion.

Jurek left Georgia on May 27. He averaged 50 miles a day with his support team. He beat the previous record held by Jennifer Pharr Davis in 2011 by 3 hours and 13 minutes. That’s close in a race of this magnitude. Amazingly, Jurek’s goal was to beat the record by four whole days, but injuries slowed him down.

For the past month and a half I dreamed of getting to the top of Katahdin. After 46 days, 8 hours and 7 minutes it was a reality and the feeling was unlike anything I’ve experienced. The path takes us places we never imagine. Photo: @luis_escobar @brooksrunning @clifbarcompany @protecathletics @ultimatedirectionusa #SJAT15 #EatAndRun #GeorgiaToMaine #scottjurek

A photo posted by Scott Jurek (@scottjurek) on Jul 13, 2015 at 9:15am PDT

At 41 years old, Scott Jurek is one tough dude. And according to SI.com, he plans to retire from competition after this feat.

Read more about Scott Jurek Beating the Appalachian Trail speed record in one of the links below:

• Runner’s World
• Outside Online
• Scott Jurek’s Blog
• @ScottJurek on Instagram
• See His Route On DeLorme.com
• NPR

Congratulations Scott!