Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Earlier this month, Jeff Garmire set a new self-supported fastest known time (FKT) on the Appalachian Trail: 45 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes. He shaved more than three hours off Joe McConaughy’s 2017 mark—long regarded as one of the most impressive endurance feats in ultrarunning.
With that context, I was excited to have Jeff on the podcast to unpack the experience. We cover the essentials—gear, logistics, nutrition, training—but also go deeper. Jeff shares his background and motivations, and we explore the financial and sponsorship side of attempting something that requires stepping away from the rest of your life for nearly seven weeks.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Initial Reflections
02:47 Mental and Emotional Aftermath of Long-Distance Hiking
05:57 The Nature of Depression Post-Adventure
08:50 Balancing Life and Adventure
11:55 Financial Aspects of Self-Supported Hiking
14:59 Cost Breakdown of the Adventure
23:44 Lessons Learned from Other Speed Hikers, The Evolution of Self-Supported Records
41:54 Training Camps: Preparation and Lessons Learned
50:21 Food and Gear Choices for Long-Distance Hiking
53:57 Tech and Entertainment on the Trail
56:21 Avoidable Challenges and Personal Growth
01:04:42 Supporting Mental Health Initiatives
01:06:57 Future Plans and Community Engagement
Partners:
* Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (nordarun.com/)
* Gorewear - use code SINGLETRACKPOD30 at checkout on their website (bit.ly/3JVNIbL) to get 30% off your purchase.
* Naak - use code SINGLETRACK15 at checkout on their website (naak.com/) to get 15% off your purchase.
* Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (raideresearch.com/)
Follow Singletrack on Instagram:
instagram.com/runsingletrack
Subscribe to Singletrack on Apple:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/singletrack/id1572382413
Subscribe to Singletrack on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7jAsWCRNSCU8nh81vrAaC2?si=3ac02e4e32b946c4
Earlier this month, Jeff Garmire set a new self-supported fastest known time (FKT) on the Appalachian Trail: 45 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes. He shaved more than three hours off Joe McConaughy’s 2017 mark—long regarded as one of the most impressive endurance feats in ultrarunning.
With that context, I was excited to have Jeff on the podcast to unpack the experience. We cover the essentials—gear, logistics, nutrition, training—but also go deeper. Jeff shares his background and motivations, and we explore the financial and sponsorship side of attempting something that requires stepping away from the rest of your life for nearly seven weeks.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Initial Reflections
02:47 Mental and Emotional Aftermath of Long-Distance Hiking
05:57 The Nature of Depression Post-Adventure
08:50 Balancing Life and Adventure
11:55 Financial Aspects of Self-Supported Hiking
14:59 Cost Breakdown of the Adventure
23:44 Lessons Learned from Other Speed Hikers, The Evolution of Self-Supported Records
41:54 Training Camps: Preparation and Lessons Learned
50:21 Food and Gear Choices for Long-Distance Hiking
53:57 Tech and Entertainment on the Trail
56:21 Avoidable Challenges and Personal Growth
01:04:42 Supporting Mental Health Initiatives
01:06:57 Future Plans and Community Engagement
Partners:
* Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (nordarun.com/)
* Gorewear - use code SINGLETRACKPOD30 at checkout on their website (bit.ly/3JVNIbL) to get 30% off your purchase.
* Naak - use code SINGLETRACK15 at checkout on their website (naak.com/) to get 15% off your purchase.
* Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (raideresearch.com/)
Follow Singletrack on Instagram:
instagram.com/runsingletrack
Subscribe to Singletrack on Apple:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/singletrack/id1572382413
Subscribe to Singletrack on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7jAsWCRNSCU8nh81vrAaC2?si=3ac02e4e32b946c4
