Post by Peter Bakwin on Nov 4, 2009 18:17:19 GMT -5
Ben Thompson, 4h29m55s, July 6, 2017.
Malcolm Groves, 4h27m12s (without summiting Clay), October 15, 2017.
Kristina Folcik set the women's FKT at 5h32m on June 27, 2014.
Previous FKTs:
Ben Nephew, 4h34m36s, Sept. 7, 2013.
Jan Welford, 4h35m29s, August 24, 2013.
Ben Nephew, 4h50m18s, June 9, 2012.
Ryan Welts, 4h56m14s, July 2, 2011.
Jan Welford, 4h59m37s, August 29, 2010.
Ryan Welts, 5h7m44s, Sept. 5, 2009.
Unconfirmed early FKT: Mike Gallagher and Ned Gillette, 4h46m?, 1968.
Kelsey Allen & Amy Rusiecki established the first women's FKT at 7h12m30s on June 22, 2014
Presidential Range, Mt Pierce is absent
Wikipedia describes the Presidential Traverse as follows: "A Presidential Traverse, as it is known to hikers in the Northeast, is a strenuous and sometimes dangerous trek over the Presidential Range of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Contained almost entirely in the 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest, the Presidential Range is a string of summits in excess of 4,000 feet. To complete the traverse, one must begin at either the northern or southern terminus of the Presidential Range and finish at the opposing end. As there are multiple definitions for the Presidential Traverse, what happens in between is a question of debate..." While many hikers have claimed that doing the traverse without tagging the summits is valid, this seems counter to the definition of a range traverse. The minimum traverse, from Madison to Pierce, is 18+ miles, according to recent GPS tracks from some of the FKT runs. For most hikers, the northern trailhead is near the town of Appalachia, and the southern trailhead is Crawford Notch. A good topo map is here. This page gives distances, elevation gains and "typical" hiking times.
Ryan Welts ran the Presi (including Pierce) in 5h7m44s on Sept. 5, 2009, about 4 weeks after setting the FKT on the Pemigewasset Loop. His report is here. A photo of Welts on the route is here.
Since Welts' 2009 run this FKT has been hotly contested by Welts, Ben Nephew and Jan Welford. In 2013, Nephew bettered Welford's FKT by less than a minute! Nephew's time stood for a few years, until Ben Thompson took the FKT down to 4h29m55s on July 6, 2017. These FKT runs are discussed further below. On October 15, 2017, Malcolm Groves did the Presi in 4h27m12s but without summiting Clay, which is really a sub-summit of Washington (plus, Henry Clay was of course not a president!). Other runners have all gone over the summit of Clay. Groves' gps track is on Strava.
Prior to Welts, the fastest time I am aware of was from an unofficial "race" of one version of the route (not really the "classic" route) on Sept. 13, 1988. Ian Torrence and Steve Smith ran the race from Dolly Copp campground to Crawford Notch in 5h25m on September 13, 1998, summitting Madison (via the Howker Ridge Trail), Adams, Jefferson, Clay, Washington, Monroe and Eisenhower (but not Webster or Pierce) along the way. The race provided no aid stations, but the runners refueled on top of Mt. Washington. Torrence felt it likely that others had done the traverse faster, but knew of no faster time.
Evolution of the FKT for the Presidential Traverse is detailed in the thread below. Some links, gps tracks and splits are given.
HOWEVER: As reported below, Mike Gallagher and Ned Gillette appear to have run the Traverse in 4h46m way back in 1968, while training for the US Olympic Nordic Ski Team. This is being reported based on Gallagher's training log from the time, though we have not see it. It is not clear if the route they used is the same as what is being done presently.
While the FKT for the Presidential Traverse has been rather hotly contested by men, there had been no times for women until Amy Rusiecki reported (below) that she and Kelsey Allen ran the route in 7h12m30s on June 22, 2014. See below for splits and a link. Just a few days later, on June 27, 2014, Kristna Folcik did the route in a speedy 5h32m, as reported below (with splits and link to a gps track). Folcik had apparently run the Presi with her husband, Ryan Welts, in 6h48m a few weeks prior, but had not reported the time.
Malcolm Groves, 4h27m12s (without summiting Clay), October 15, 2017.
Kristina Folcik set the women's FKT at 5h32m on June 27, 2014.
Previous FKTs:
Ben Nephew, 4h34m36s, Sept. 7, 2013.
Jan Welford, 4h35m29s, August 24, 2013.
Ben Nephew, 4h50m18s, June 9, 2012.
Ryan Welts, 4h56m14s, July 2, 2011.
Jan Welford, 4h59m37s, August 29, 2010.
Ryan Welts, 5h7m44s, Sept. 5, 2009.
Unconfirmed early FKT: Mike Gallagher and Ned Gillette, 4h46m?, 1968.
Kelsey Allen & Amy Rusiecki established the first women's FKT at 7h12m30s on June 22, 2014
Presidential Range, Mt Pierce is absent
Wikipedia describes the Presidential Traverse as follows: "A Presidential Traverse, as it is known to hikers in the Northeast, is a strenuous and sometimes dangerous trek over the Presidential Range of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Contained almost entirely in the 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest, the Presidential Range is a string of summits in excess of 4,000 feet. To complete the traverse, one must begin at either the northern or southern terminus of the Presidential Range and finish at the opposing end. As there are multiple definitions for the Presidential Traverse, what happens in between is a question of debate..." While many hikers have claimed that doing the traverse without tagging the summits is valid, this seems counter to the definition of a range traverse. The minimum traverse, from Madison to Pierce, is 18+ miles, according to recent GPS tracks from some of the FKT runs. For most hikers, the northern trailhead is near the town of Appalachia, and the southern trailhead is Crawford Notch. A good topo map is here. This page gives distances, elevation gains and "typical" hiking times.
Ryan Welts ran the Presi (including Pierce) in 5h7m44s on Sept. 5, 2009, about 4 weeks after setting the FKT on the Pemigewasset Loop. His report is here. A photo of Welts on the route is here.
Since Welts' 2009 run this FKT has been hotly contested by Welts, Ben Nephew and Jan Welford. In 2013, Nephew bettered Welford's FKT by less than a minute! Nephew's time stood for a few years, until Ben Thompson took the FKT down to 4h29m55s on July 6, 2017. These FKT runs are discussed further below. On October 15, 2017, Malcolm Groves did the Presi in 4h27m12s but without summiting Clay, which is really a sub-summit of Washington (plus, Henry Clay was of course not a president!). Other runners have all gone over the summit of Clay. Groves' gps track is on Strava.
Prior to Welts, the fastest time I am aware of was from an unofficial "race" of one version of the route (not really the "classic" route) on Sept. 13, 1988. Ian Torrence and Steve Smith ran the race from Dolly Copp campground to Crawford Notch in 5h25m on September 13, 1998, summitting Madison (via the Howker Ridge Trail), Adams, Jefferson, Clay, Washington, Monroe and Eisenhower (but not Webster or Pierce) along the way. The race provided no aid stations, but the runners refueled on top of Mt. Washington. Torrence felt it likely that others had done the traverse faster, but knew of no faster time.
Evolution of the FKT for the Presidential Traverse is detailed in the thread below. Some links, gps tracks and splits are given.
HOWEVER: As reported below, Mike Gallagher and Ned Gillette appear to have run the Traverse in 4h46m way back in 1968, while training for the US Olympic Nordic Ski Team. This is being reported based on Gallagher's training log from the time, though we have not see it. It is not clear if the route they used is the same as what is being done presently.
While the FKT for the Presidential Traverse has been rather hotly contested by men, there had been no times for women until Amy Rusiecki reported (below) that she and Kelsey Allen ran the route in 7h12m30s on June 22, 2014. See below for splits and a link. Just a few days later, on June 27, 2014, Kristna Folcik did the route in a speedy 5h32m, as reported below (with splits and link to a gps track). Folcik had apparently run the Presi with her husband, Ryan Welts, in 6h48m a few weeks prior, but had not reported the time.
