New Appalachian Trail “self-supported” record claimed

Self-supported meaning there wasn't a team – often by vehicle – supplying the hiker. That's 2,189 miles in just under 54 days (Do the math!).Excerpts below, but if you hit the link – it's a good story.

Dan Binde, age 25, is from Lake Park, Minn. He departed the southern terminus of the AT on May 26 at 2 p.m. He stood on the summit of Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus, at 12:57 p.m. on July 19.

Binde supports these claims with a SPOT tracking device, carried during the hike. He recorded a GPS track of the route.

The world of long-distance hiking FKTs is convoluted, but Binde documented the effort with both GPS and photos. (Noted below, problems exist in the GPS track.) He said he did not ride in any car along the way, and his effort was self-supported.

He had no support vehicle or outside assistance with food and camps.

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With the speedy hike, Binde shaves several hours off the record of 54:07:48, set by Heather “Anish” Anderson in September 2015.

There is no official speed record for the AT.

Before GPS, speed records were simply taken at word. Today, the modern era requires documentation. False claims have cast shadows on the activity, and the onus of proof now falls on the person who claims the FKT.

As there is not much of an audience on the trail, FKT attempts are still largely honor-bound. But evidence such as GPS tracks, photos of the hiker at known points, and postings of intentions on FKT bulletin boards all help validate the attempt.