TALK ULTRA podcast will be released as normal providing you long shows as it has always done with ideally two shows per month. The back catalogue will be released randomly via the INTERVIEWS and not chronologically.
Last September, Red Bull athlete and ultra-runner Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer finally captured his white whale when on his third attempt in eight years, he set a new Appalachian Trail thru-hike speed record with a time of 45 days 22 hours and 38 minutes. Now, the story behind the trek from Mt. Katahdin, Maine, to Springer Mountain, Ga., is told in the new documentary “Karl Meltzer: Made To Be Broken” which will debut on Red Bull TV and can be streamed for free beginning April 13.
The 42-minute documentary captures the ups and downs of Meltzer’s world record run, from injuries and sleep deprivation to the challenges faced by his close-knit crew, which included his father, wife and former Appalachian Trail record holder, Scott Jurek.
Listen to Karl talk in-depth and discuss the highs and lows HERE
“The trail challenges people. It has changed a lot of people’s lives and visions of what they can do and what they can’t do,” Meltzer proclaims in the film’s opening minutes. “The A.T. is the hardest, most iconic trail in the United States, and I’ve always been drawn back to it.”
The Appalachian Trail runs from Maine to Georgia stretching 2,190 miles through 14 states. It is roughly the distance between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as the crow flies. A thru-hiker will experience 464,500 feet of elevation change, or 16 climbs of Mt. Everest. Thousands of people attempt an Appalachian Trail thru-hike every year, yet only one in four hikers finish the journey, and they typically take five to seven months to complete the entire trail, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
As a year comes to end, it’s always nice to be able to look back and appreciate some of the highlights that all come together that allows one to decide if it was a good or bad year. For me personally, 2016 was a cracker and I am truly thankful for all the opportunities that came up.
Looking back and deciding on what a highlight is, is of course a tricky thing. It’s very personal and it also requires a great memory. So, I will declare right from the off that these are ‘my’ highlights and yes, I am going to miss some key performances, runners, experiences and so on that should be in the list. So, please feel free to comment and remind me.
It would make sense to start in January and move through to December in a logical way… I am not going to do that, I am writing this off the cuff.
Jim Walmsley has been on fire in 2016 and ironically, despite an amazing run and course record at JFK50, FKT’s for the Rim-to-Rim and Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim in the Grand Canyon and countless other victories, it will be his Western States performance that well and truly cements Jim as one of the most exciting runners to rise in 2016. He said pre Western States that he was there to win and win with a course record. He flew along the trails and at one point was almost 30-minutes under the record. As he passed 90-miles everyone was re-writing the history books and then boom! Jim went off course. I caught up with a full and in-depth interview with Jim and you can listen to that HERE and read it HERE. Jim for many is the male Ultra-runner of the Year with victories at Stagecoach Line 55km, Franklin Mountains Trail Run, Lake Sonoma, Mesquite Canyon, Moab Red Hot 55k, Bandera 100k and the recent JFK50. 2017 is going to be a very exciting one.
Rob Young set off on a journey Across the USA looking for a new record, fame, glory and an opportunity to raise a load of money for charity. Somewhere along the way he lost a grasp of reality, perspective and ruined what was a remarkable story be cheating and deceiving the whole ultra running community. Ultimately, Rob is a story of an individual who tried to do good and maybe we should ask what went wrong rather than preach about his morals.
That brings me on to Mark Vaz. What is it with FKT’s and delusional behaviour? Mark seemed to think that running from Land’s End to John O’Groats 31-hours quicker than anyone else for the 860-mile journey was a good idea. It’s not even a convincing lie. As many pointed out, the god of ultra -running, Yiannis Kouros, couldn’t have done it as quick as Mr. Vaz claimed… oh dear!
Pete Kostelnick by contrast embraced the FKT concept and showed the world that the claims made by Rob Young are possible by smashing a 30+ year old Guinness record out of the ether by running Across the USA a full 4-days quicker than anyone else. As records go, this is an absolute doozy and when you look deep and hard into this 40+ day journey, you soon start to understand the difficulty and complexity of running 70+ miles a day. You can listen to an in-depth interview with Pete HERE and read the story HERE. In addition, we must also add to this story, Pete’s incredible and record breaking run at Badwater 135. This achievement has been overshadowed by the USA run but as a stand alone run, it’s also a cracker.
Karl Meltzer did it, he finally completed the Appalachian Trail in a new record breaking time after failing on two previous occasions. His time was some 10-hours quicker than Scott Jurek’s set in 2015, however, Karl did run in the opposite direction and has said, post run, he feels that they are two records. Notably, Karl helped Scott in 2015 and Scott helped Karl in 2016. It’s a remarkable story and one that truly reflects our sport of ultra-running. Karl’s record of 45-days, 22-hours and 38-minutes now sits in the record books and well and truly establishes Karl as one of ‘the’ greatest ultra-runners in the world. This is also backed up with his 38 100-mile victories and 5 victories at Hardrock 100. Listen to the in-depth interview HEREand readHERE
Talking of Hardrock 100, Kilian Jornet and Jason Schlarb held hands and crossed the line together in 2016. It was a wonderful moment that split the ultra-running audience in two. Some would have preferred a race to the line while others discussed the wonderful gesture and statement this moment made. Whichever camp you sit in, it was back-to-back victories for Kilian and a career defining moment for Jason Schlarb. Something he discussed in my in-depth interview HERE. For equality, we also need to mention Anna Frost nailing a back-to-back ladies victory. As I understand it, these three Musketeers will all return in 2017.
Aaron Denberg got a bee in his bonnet about Hardrock 100 lottery and decided to create a law suit. Many believe Mr. Denberg makes some good points but questioned if his approach was the correct one? Hardrock 100 released statements and have since removed the payment of a fee by each runner to enter the lottery, something which was apparently illegal! This will run and run (pardon the pun) but ultimately, is Hardrock a victim of it’s own success?
Caroline Chaverot for me, without doubt, female ultra-runner of the year. This French lady has been on fire all the way from victory in Transgrancanaria early in the year to a most recent win in Hong Kong on December 2nd. Along the way, Caroline won UTMB, became Skyrunning World Champion for the ultra distance and won the IAU World Trail Championships in Portugal. Add to these incredible results, victories at Madirea Island Ultra Trail, Mont-Blanc 80km and the UTWT world title for 2016 and I lower my head and bow to Queen Caroline. Plus she has made the lottery for Hardrock in 2017… exciting!
Adam Campbell survives a horrific fall and not only lives to tell the tale but has a remarkable recovery, listen to the interview HERE and read HERE
Lizzy Hawker sneaked from under the radar and once again picked up the gauntlet testing her personal boundaries and voyage of self-discovery. After years of injury, Lizzy completed the GHT (Great Himalayan Trail). A 1600km, east to west journey across Nepal. It was, as Lizzy promised, a “beautiful, rough, hard and unforgettable journey”. It was about many things, but also about trying to raise money to give opportunities to Nepali runners, particularly girls, for whom one chance can be a catalyst for much wider change.
Damian Hall set a new FKT on the UK’s South West Coast Path 10-hours, 15-minutes and 18-seconds for the 630-mile jaunt.
Jeff Browning, what a year…! Winner Hurt 100, 3rd at Western States, 4th at Hardrock 100 and 4th at Run Rabbit Run – that is some year, the WSER/Hardrock double a stand out and fastest combined time.
Kilian Jornet won Hardrock 100 and attempted to summit Everest. The Summits Of My Life project continues on into 2017 after Kilian and his team decided to pull the plug on a 2016 attempt as weather detonated.
Emelie Forsberg was quiet in 2016 after damaging her ACL and having an operation, she did however return to Trofeo Kima and put the record straight with a victory… she hopes the course record will come in 2018 when the race will take place once again. Emelie discussed her injury HERE
Beth Pascall went from strength-to-strength in 2016 and elevated the Lakeland 100 (UK) record to a whole new level by placing 4th overall. Listen to her interview HERE
Zach Miller did what he always does and lead from the front. At UTMB many predicted, me included, that it was going to be a story of glorious victory with a stunning ‘off-the-front’ performance or carnage with a monumental blow-up! In reality it was both, the blow-up came and he somehow managed to hold on for grim death to still get a top-10 place, he will win this race one day! Jump forward to December and Zach did it again at San Francisco 50. This time he had company and many are saying that ‘this’ race was one of the highlights of the year as Zach and Hayden Hawks traded blows at the front. Zach won with a course record and he took home the $10,000 prize. Hayden finished just 2-minutes back. Note that name! If you want to know what it’s like to put it ALL on the line, take a look at Zach’s final 2-minutes of that incredible 5:56:03 run.
Andrew Miller became the youngest winner of the iconic Western States and today, myself and so many others still know very little about this 20-year old. Certainly, Jim Walmsley had an impact on the kudos and plaudits that Andrew should have received. Running 15:39:36 at WSER takes some doing but I can’t help but think that Biology and chemistry are a priority as Andrew starts his sophomore year at Northern Arizona University. He will be back at WSER in 2017!
Kaci Lickteig has been nailing it and nailing it and finally got the Western States victory that she has longed for and then contrasted it with victory at the Bear 100. You can listen to Kaci’s post Western States interview HERE
Andrea Huser runs and races it would appear ‘every’ weekend. She is relentless. As I understand it, Andrea raced on thirteen occasions but I may have missed some/ She had victories at Raid de La Reunion Swiss Irontrail T201 Eiger Ultratrail 101km, Lavaredo, Trail d’Albertville, Trail Des Allobroges and Maxi-Race Annecy. Phew… any other year and the lack of Caroline Chaverot and Andrea would be female ultra-runner of the year.
Luis Alberto Hernando won Transvulcania, became Skyrunning World Champion for the ultra distance and became IAU World Trail Champion. That is a solid year and Luis has raced less having become a Dad. Had his feet not fallen apart at UTMB, he may well have been in the running with Jim for male ultra-runner of the year.
Diego Pazos is a name to watch and has surprised many in 2016. He’s my heads-up for the future. He had a notable result at Transgrancanaria early in 2016 but what followed was quite incredible, his victory at Mont-Blanc 80km a highlight!
Didrik Hermansen won Transgrancanaria and then placed 2nd at Western States. That is solid and shows real diversity. What will 2017 hold for him? Listen HEREand as Sondre corrects me, Didrik ran 6:45 and 6:38 for 100k.
Running Beyond Book was released in October and November to a worldwide audience and has been translated into Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish and of course is available in English. Containing 240-pages, this large coffee table books documents the sport of trail, ultra, mountain and skyrunning in images and words, HERE
Dan Lawson (UK) won the IAU 24 Hour European Championships in 2016 with a distance of 261.843 kilometres (162.702 mi).
Jasmin Paris has elevated herself to a whole new level in 2016. This quiet and shy fell runner set new records for the UK’s ‘Rounds’ and in the process placed 6th at UTMB (her first 100) won Tromso SkyRace, won Glencoe Skyline, became the Skyrunner World Series Extreme Champion 2016 and in addition to countless other races, also placed on the podium at the Skyrunning World Championships for the ultra distance behind Caroline Chaverot. Interviews with Jasmin Paris HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE
Joe Grant set a new record on the 14’ers in 31-days by cycling between trailheads and then summiting all the 14’ers (50+ of them) on foot to then return back to his cycle and then continue on his journey. He was self-sufficient for the whole trip. “I did set a speed record, but that wasn’t my goal,” says Grant, 33, an accomplished ultrarunner who finished second at the 2012 Hardrock 100. “The goal was to challenge myself and see the state, although the previous record served as a reference for how long I could take.” taken from trailrunningmag.
Megan Hicks also completed a ’14’ journey, the Nolans 14 in Colorado. She completed the journey in 57:19:19 to the summit of the 14th peak and then completed the journey back to the Fish Hatchery Trailhead in under 60-hours – 59:36. Her time is the fastest ever completed by a woman.
Nicky Spinks continues to inspire and while she may have lost her ‘Round’ records to Jasmin Paris, she went on to set a new benchmark with a record for a double Bob Graham Round – Nick is an inspiration! You can listen to an interview with her HERE
Ludovic Pommeret ran the most controlled and impressive UTMB ever moving from not being in contention to slowly but surely ticking off the runners ahead and taking the crown at the largest ultra in the world. Add to this victory four other victories and Ludovic is one to keep an eye on in ’17.’
Caroline Boller set new American Trail 50-mile record 5:48:01
Gina Slaby set new female 100-mile WR 13:45:49 for ‘any’ surface, Anne Trason had the previous record of 13:47:41 set in the early 90’s.
Skyline Scotland achieved a first with Glencoe Skyline achieving Skyrunner World Status in the Extreme category and as such, the 2016 edition of the race had arguably one of the best fields assembled on UK soil for a mountain race. HERE
Jon Albon transitioned from obstacle racing (something he still does and excels at) to Skyrunning and won the 2016 Skyrunner World Series Extreme category. We are going to see more of him in 2017! HERE
Samantha Gash ran across India in a project called ‘Run India’ as a means to create awareness and raise money. Covering over 3000km you can listen to her story in episode 125 of Talk Ultra out on Friday 16th December.
Ida Nilsson started the year with a win in Transvulcania, she took victory at The Rut and then in early December won San Francisco 50. Without doubt, Ida is a star of the future. Listen to Ida talk about Transvulcania HERE
Stu Leaney breaks Michael Wardian’s 50km treadmill record by just 7-seconds
Mina Guli ran 40-marathons across 7 deserts on 7 continents in 7 weeks to raise awareness for water, listen to the interview HERE
Jason Schlarb started his year by prepping for Hardrock 100 by skiing the course, listen to the interview HERE
Skyrunning and the world series (SWS) elevated to new heights with an increased circuit that traveled the globe and the addition of the new Extreme series.
And finally (maybe), Donnie Campbell just recently set a new Winter Ramsay Round record to finish a very solid year!
******
So what have I missed?
I am well aware that I will have missed some key performances in 2016 and I welcome you commenting and letting me know. Of course, many performances, races or experiences will resonate on a personal level for you. I can think of many British performances that are worthy of a nod – Jo Meek’s 2nd at the CCC, Paul Giblin 5th at Western States, Joasia Zakrzewski’s medal at the 100k World Champs for example.
This is Episode 119 of Talk Ultra and we have a 1-hour special interview with Speedgoat Karl Meltzer on his incredible record breaking FKT on the AT. We also have interviews with the male and female winners of the Superior 100, Mallory Richard and Frank Pipp. We have the news and Ian is going solo!
KARL ON THE AT
On Sept. 18 at 3:38 a.m Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer emerged from the Appalachian Trail’s southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Ga., and set a new Appalachian Trail thru-hike speed record with a time of 45 days 22 hours and 38 minutes. Meltzer started his supported run at 5 a.m. on Aug. 3 from Mt. Katahdin, Maine, and averaged approximately 47 miles per day at a pace of 3.2 miles per hour. Meltzer’s time beats the previous record by more than 10 hours, which was set by Scott Jurek in 2015.
The project, in planning for more than two years, was accomplished with a small core crew consisting of Meltzer’s father, Karl Sr., and crew chief Eric Belz. Others joined the crew to support Meltzer for short periods throughout the hike, including Meltzer’s wife and fellow ultrarunners. The crew traveled alongside Meltzer every day, providing him with food, water, medical attention and logistical support. Meals were prepared and taken in a van, which also served as Meltzer and Belz’s sleeping quarters.
00:09:39 INTERVIEW WITH SPEEDGOAT
RUNNING BEYOND BOOK well I have a first copy in my hand and I have to say I am somewhat pleased and happy. It’s taken a couple of years and at times it never felt quite real. The book in my hand confirms it is real and Spanish, German, Italian and UK versions will be available in the coming months. I believe Spain is first (September) Italy is October and the UK November. I don’t have a date on the German edition yet! – HERE
Pipp crossed the line in 20:24:00 a superior, Superior 100 champion. His run for a rookie 100-mile runner was incredible. Uhan had run a clever and smart race, he had saved something for those closing challenging miles and he pulled away from Jenkins and Schwarz-Lowe. His finish 22:46 was a solid 8-minutes ahead of Jenkins who had no doubt had the race of his life… he had managed to pull ahead of Schwarz-Lowe and take the final podium place by just 1-minute. But this only tells half the story. In the closing miles, under darkness, tired, fatigued and lacking focus, Jenkins had run into a head height true branch that cut his head open sending him flat to the ground. Somehow he managed to pick himself up and find the effort and pace to hold off a charging Schwarz-Lowe.
Richard finished next, first lady and 5th overall with a new course record 23:51. Her performance was stunning and almost looked effortless. It was impressive! Tina Johnson finished 2nd and Stephanie Hoff 3rd, 29:50 and 30:52 respectively. Queen of the Superior 100 finished 4th in 31:07 and in doing so, achieved her 16th buckle.
02:20:22 INTERVIEW with MALLORY RICHARD
RUN RABBIT RUN
Alex Nichols runs his first 100 wins in 17:57 and takes home 12,000 dollars. Nice! Mark Hammon 2nd in 19:19 and Kyle Curtin 3rd 19:27. Incredibly Jeff Browning was 4th… he is having some year!
Courtney Dawalter won the ladies race (not a nam I know) ahead of Alissa St Laurent and Nicole Kalogeropoulos. Their times 21:23, 22:38 and 23:10.
Notable drops were Nikki Kimball who has won the race in the past and Sage Canaday dropped in the men’s race.
WASATCH 100
Darcy Piceu came from behind to win in 23:15 and Trevor Fuchs 21:13
DEVILS RIDGE 70K
Yun Yanqiao run 6:30 to finish 11 minutes in front of Francois D’Haene. In the women’s race, Lucy Bartholomew pipped Sally McRae.
Day 46: The most anticipated day on the Appalachian Trail yet. Karl and his crew were up at 3:05 a.m., and Karl went through his morning breakfast routine before hitting the trail at 3:50 a.m. to start his final 85-mile hike to Springer Mountain in Georgia. The trail sections between crew stops today are between 11 and 15 miles. Karl is keeping around a 3.5 mph pace with some faster sections.
Karl’s support crew has grown with more friends and family coming out to support him. His sister, niece and wife Cheryl have been hiking in and running with him to the crew stops to keep him company. Karl is in good spirits, and the crew consensus is that Karl is starting to “smell the barn.” He’s talkative at crew stops but is moving through them very quickly, taking just two minutes or less, just enough time to grab a water bottle, a to-go sandwich and some candy.
Karl left Tesnatee Gap at 5:15 p.m., which is the halfway point for the day. He has 40 miles ahead of him. There is no sleep planned tonight. He’s going to push through and try to beat the record by as wide a margin as he can.
Go Karl!
Many thanks to Karl, Eric and Red Bull for their cooperation on the AT record
Karl can’t smell the barn, he can see a glow from the flames long off in the distance and no matter which we you look at it, Speedgoat id 3 days from glory or glory. Yes, if he fails, he is glorious in defeat. If he succeeds, he is glorious in success.
The supported FKT currently belongs to Scott Jurek with a time of 46 days, 8 hours, and 7 minutes.
Many thanks to Red Bull, Eric, Senior and Karl for the support.
Day 42 North Carolina
The temperature has been heating up and the humidity is rising as Karl travels further into North Carolina, but it doesn’t seem to be impacting him too much. He’s maintaining his cool thanks to cold towels provided by Seni or at crew stops. Scott’s presence is helping Karl’s pace, but Scott has to leave after tomorrow for a day. He’ll be back soon to support Karl at the finish. The crew rested today along the border of the Great Smoky Mountains national Park. Tomorrow, Karl will be attempting to hike through the Smokies at the quickest pace possible without burning himself out. That is why today’s mileage will only be around 40 miles. Tomorrow will be one of the biggest challenges Karl has faced as he summits the tallest mountain on the AT.Knowing Speedboat, this big challenge shouldn’t be big at all.
Day 43 North Carolina
Karl entered Great Smoky Mountain National Park early this morning. This mountain range is the biggest challenge Karl has faced since the White Mountains in new Hampshire.
Also located in their mountain range is the tallest mountain on the AT, Clingman’s Dome, which Karl got through without any hiccups, and he and the crew even got to appreciate the beauty this part of the trail offers. Karl decided to camp on the trail again tonight. It didn’t go very well last time and the shelter Karl chose to stope at is a 20 mile hike from the road. Scott hiked in to take care of Karl for the night. Senior and Eric camped at the next day’s first crew stop to have a big hot breakfast waiting for Karl. Nearly knocking out the Smokies all in one day (55 miles today) is a huge deal and has put Karl in a good position for tomorrow to have a relatively easy day. Though as all previous Appalachian Trail FKT record holders would say, “there’s no easy day on the trail.”
Day 44 Smoky Mountain National Park
Karl exited the Smokies this morning and crossed over the iconic Fontana Dam. He disappeared as quickly as he appeared: he’s moving fast. Scott had to leave today but he will be back tomorrow to help crew Karl to the finish. His company on the trail has been greatly appreciated; the strong bond among the ultra community is at work here. Karl had ups and downs mentally throughout the day, but physically his body is holding up well. He’s consistently knocked out each crew stop on time, and that allowed him to finish the day with 46 miles before sundown. As he reaches the final days, every ounce of energy counts, every step is critical.
Right now Karl is roughly 130 miles from Springer Mountain.- the finish line of the Appalachian Trail. When he rolled into bed tonight he made the remark that he doesn’t “smell barn yet” but that is sure to change within the next 24 to 48 hours. It’s crunch time, and whether Karl wants to cut the record close or shatter it is completely in his hands. If his body stays healthy and his crew strong, odds are, Karl will be the next AT record holder. Only the next 48 hours will tell.
It’s the crux day’s now as Karl comes to the end of this epic journey, physically and mentally tired, he needs to continue to dig deep as he covers over 50-miles a day. The terrain is getting more challenging but Karl is prepared, he knows what needs to be done and if that means pulling an all-nighter, he thinks he has it in him – go Karl!
Many thanks to Eric, Senior, Karl and Red Bull for the continued support.
Day 40 Tennessee
Two ‘AT’ legends, Dave Horton and Scott Jurek, started the day with Karl and crewed him for the first few stops. Dave had to leave the trail early but had some very important and inspiring words… “You can do it, but you should quit now if you don’t plan on beating Scott’s record.”
40 days have passed since Karl left Mt. Katahdin in Maine and Scott is now helping with the journey. Physically, Karl hasn’t changed much; he appears to have lost maybe five pounds. Mentally though, the 40 trail days are showing their toll as one can only imagine. Karl is getting more particular about his diet, and he’s not so quick to laugh and joke with the crew anymore. Senior and Eric are doing an incredible job and yes, Karl is putting one foot in-front of the other but think about the impact on the crew? Karl managed 47.3 miles. It’s all about strategy now but if Karl needs one or two BIG days, I believe he has it in him, both physically and mentally. Karl will head toward Hot Springs tomorrow, an iconic trail town.
Day 41 North Carolina
Speedgoat is maintaining a pace between fast hike and a jog on trail that varies between farmland and forest. He is still holding up well physically. Today was another 50+ day and all is looking good. Throughout the the day, Scott Jurek supported and has commented on how he was confidence that Karl will set a new AT FKT! The terrain over the next few days is challenging but like I keep saying, the barn is smoking and Speedgoat can smell it more and more.
Speedgoat Karl really is nailing the Appalachian Trail and like any multi-day journey of this magnitude he is having some high and lows. I am continually impressed by the level of determination and commitment both Karl and his crew are throwing at this. It’s mind blowing.
Each week we are providing 7-day updates. You can read days 1-7 HERE, days 8-14 HERE and on day 19 we caught up with Karl’s head crew member, eric, for a ‘live’ chat from the trail, listen to that HERE.
Many thanks to Red Bull for the support.
Day 15 Pittsfield, MA
It was a long but productive day for Karl. Karl left early on his route through Massachusetts. His first crew stop was in a busy and booming town near Pittsfield, MA. Karl made excellent timing all day and continues to keep on record pace. The terrain is less harsh at the moment and therefore faster. Daily mileages are around 40. The general atmosphere is great and attitudes are good. As Karl’s crew set up camp on Beartown Mountain road, trouble hit. Karl’s Spot Tracker signaled SOS outside a residential building. However, the crew could not receive the signal due to a lack of reception. The production crew had reception and headed out to find Karl, it was 9:30pm. It took sometime but the team eventually found Karl. Turns out that Karl ended up going to someone’s house where they offered him a jacket, a blanket and a floor to sleep on. Luckily there were no injuries and everyone was safe. It’s important to remember the trail is off the beaten track, even on the surrounding roads. From here on out, the crew is optimistic about tracking and pinpointing every crew location on the rest of the trail. It was a short night of rest. Even with the best technology, an experienced crew and dedicated athlete, there are no guarantees – anything can happen.
Day 16 Connecticut
It was a long night last night but Karl was up and at it again making his way through Connecticut and on to New York. Initially, Karl was tired, no surprise really! After about 10-minutes he started to feel a burst of energy and logged 48-miles, incredible! Karl as a positive attitude and the mishaps of day 15 are gone.
Day 17 Depot Hill Road, NY
The day began with the sun and as the team head south the climate is changing – hot and humid! It certainly makes running more difficult. Karl’s wife, Cheryl, had to leave again today. Dover Oak is the oldest tree on the AT and as Karl passed he said, ‘That’s a big tree!’ Beautiful and big it may well be but it’s next to a very busy and noisy road. It was a big day with 50 miles logged but Karl started to suffer from a sizeable blister. Unfortunately, this can happen with the heat, humidity and constant pounding. Karl is doing a great job of managing the pain. It was an early bed despite a big mileage day. Karl had a new crew member join today. Mike arrived 1030pm and not only will he crew, he will also join Karl on the trail.
Day 18 Bear Mountain State Park, NY
55 miles today, how does he do it? Karl ran through Bear Mountain State Park which is on the west side of the Hudson River in NY. It was a hot day and will only get hotter. Sadly, Karl’s dad had to leave the crew today and head home, so the crew is Eric and Mike.
Day 19 New York and New Jersey
Karl had a friend join him today, Lou. A fellow ultra-runner, Lou laced up his shoes and joined Speedgoat from midday. Makes a big difference to have someone to talk too and help pace. The weather continues to be hot and the afternoons have had rainfall. The rain is great for keeping Karl cool but not great for the feet. This area has lots of small mountains and is full of expansive farmland. The trail changes from boardwalks to flat land, to paths through farming fields and ultimately to the famous root filled green tunnel.
Day 20 New Jersey/ Pennsylvania Border
Today was a rough day… Lou only spent a day on the AT and that means it’s down to Eric and Mike to crew. Karl had pain in his shins which caused problems for running. The pain also took a mental toll. Mike joined Speedgoat on the trail for about 8-miles to help him along. Mike mentioned how Karl’s knee was buckling during the run, no doubt due to the pain. Karl is seriously tough… few people could withstand this! The crew iced his legs longer than usual and tended to both his shins and knees. A wrap around his ankle will hopefully help tomorrow! It was a low mileage day and that will surely play on Karl’s mind – he intended for 50-miles but covered 35. This journey is about so many elements coming together, it is a huge undertaking for both Karl and crew. Knowing when to push and when to hold back may well be the key to success. One wrong decision and it could all be over.
Day 21 Pennsylvania
Heading south through Pennsylvania, Karl had an early start! Despite a swollen shin, Karl felt good and the day just clicked and the miles passed smoothly. Amazing how one day can be so different to another day. The terrain was a mix of small rocks mixed with tree roots. Many of the larger rocks require a bit of climbing, as if bouldering. When Karl reached the planned stopping point he insisted on pushing on… Karl want this record! He continued into the night. It was a rough section of trail but Karl got it done. It was a huge boost and after 17-hours on the trail, Karl called it a day.
This is Episode 118 of Talk Ultra and this week is going to be a short and sharp show… it’s all about the UTMB races and Trofeo Kima. We have interviews with Jo Meek who placed 2nd lady at the CCC and Damian Hall who placed 19th in the UTMB and recently completed a ‘FKT’ on the South West Coast Path in the UK. This weeks show is co hosted by Albert Jorquera.
Firstly, this show is being recorded in the USA on the day of the RUT VK and so therefore we are somewhat pressed for time… joining me is a co-host is my good buddy and fellow Skyrunning hack, Albert Jorquera.
If you haven’t guessed, Albert is from Spain!
Karl is on the AT as many of you will know, Speedboat has passed halfway on the AT. He really is doing great, racking up some daily mileage and as you can guess is going through some real highs and lows. We are posting 7-day updates on my website so please check out the links on the show notes. I need to give out a bog thanks to Red Bull who hooked us up with Eric, Karl’s chief crew and I had a chat with him on day 19.
Albert, what do you reckon, 2100 miles in under 50 days, trying to average somewhere between 45-50 miles a day?
RUNNING BEYOND BOOK well I have a first copy in my hand and I have to say I am somewhat pleased and happy. It’s taken a couple of years and at times it never felt quite real. The book in my hand confirms it is real and Spanish, German, Italian and UK versions will be available in the coming months. I believe Spain is first (September) Italy is October and the UK November. I don’t have a date on the German edition yet! – HERE
00:32:00 NEWS
TROFEO KIMA HERE
Bhim Gurung 6:10 new CR
Marco De Gasperi 6:12
Leo Viret 6:15
Emelie Forsberg 7:49
Ruth Croft 8:02
Emanuela Brizio 8:21
UTMB WEEKEND
OCC
Xavier Thévenard (France) won the 55k OCC race with 5:28 on the clock. Marathon des Sables sensation Rachid El Morabity (Morocco) was second, 15 minutes back. Mercedes Arcos (Spain) cruised to the front of the women’s field in 6:54.
CCC
Michel Lanne (France) in 12:10, five minutes ahead of Ruy Ueda (Japan). Mimmi Kotka (Sweden) gained the women’s victory in 13:42, 27 minutes better than second-place Jo Meek (U.K.).
INTERVIEW with JO MEEK
TDS
Pau Capell (Spain), Yeray Duran (Spain), and Franco Colle (Italy) filled the men’s podium with 14:45, 15:14, and 15:32 finish times, respectively. Delphine Avenier (France) led the women with an 18:46 winning time with Meredith Edwards (U.S.) took second 13 minutes back.
We are following Speedgoat Karl Meltzer as he attempts to break the record on the Appalachian Trail. We provide day 1 to day 7 updates HERE and just recently we posted day 8 to day 14 updates HERE.
Today, day 19, we caught up with Eric (Karl’s head of crew) live from the AT to find out how Karl is doing and what progress he is making. This audio could not happen without the support and co-operation of Red Bull. Many thanks Red Bull!
Statistics show that Karl has covered 868.72 miles and has 1321.28 miles remaining after 19-days and he is currently in New Jersey.
You can listen to the audio live from the trail by clicking the ‘play’ button on the audio file below or you can click HERE for web link.
Background information:
Karl Meltzer known as ‘Speedgoat Karl‘
Is one of the world’s best in endurance mountain running. He has won more 100-mile races than anyone! A regular co-host on Talk Ultra podcast, Karl has lived the highs and lows of the Appalachian Trail.
As a native of New Hampshire, trail running and hiking have always been a part of Karl’s life.
Growing up, Karl spent many days adventuring on the Appalachian Trail with his father.
He has always been partial to running his home course, which he often refers to as the ‘Green Tunnel’ due to the rich tree canopy.
Karl completed the ‘AT’ in 2008 in 54-days after continuing with severe tendinitis. He knew then that he could cover the 2190-mile journey quicker. He returned but failed. Last year, Speedgoat’s good friend Scott Jurek set a new record and for 14-days of that journey, Speedgoat was side-by-side with his friend telling him how to get the job done.
Fired up by helping Scott, Karl is back and with the full on support of Red Bull, Speedgoat hopes to set a new FKT for the AT in under 50-days. To add to the experience, Scott and Jenny Jurek plan to return the favour by joining him in the later stages. You can read about Scott Jurek’s incredible 2015 ‘AT’ HERE.
Each week I will post a 7-day update of Speedgoat’s journey and of course, you can follow online and in real time with the help of Red Bull and the official website HERE.
IAN CORLESS 