Damian is highly respected in the UK, and it's easy to see why: besides a 5th place at UTMB and numerous big FKTs, his team collected trash all along the Pennine Way while setting a new FKT.

"I've been thinking about this Pennine Way for 4 years, but at 268 miles I was intimidated by it. And I could always say, 'Well, I have a race to prepare for, I can't fit it in.' But this year of course, all the races have vanished, so no excuse."

The Pennine Way is the first "National Trail" in England, with a remarkable history. Inspired by the Appalachian Trail, the UK had too much private property for any long trails. So in 1932, the "Mass Trespass" took place in the Peak District, which forever changed "rambling" in the UK and made possible all the terrific big routes in the UK.

"It used to be the rich elite owned most all the land, and the common folk couldn't go hiking in the hills because that land was private. So a bunch people got together, in what is not called the Mass Trespass, and that led to a change in the laws. So hikers could go hiking in a lot more places. From those protests, Pennine Way was born."

Damian and John Kelly (previous podcast and Pennine Way FKT holder for only 8 days) are friends, have paced each other, and even considered going for the Pennine Way FKT at the same time, by going in opposite directions (would have been a first - I hope someone tries this!) - insider information revealed only on this podcast!

The Pennine Way is 268 miles long and one of the first National Trails in England. The FKT was held by Mike Hartley for 31 years until John broke it. Less than a week later, his friend Damian Hall broke it again! Both Mike and John in attendance at the finish - FKT action is really hot in the UK right now - will John have another go? I asked him - his answer is very interesting!

John is a native of Tennessee and the last person to finish the Barkley Marathons. He moved to England last year - what is different?

He's been getting after it in his new home - last year he tried the "Grand Round" - self-powered. This is the three biggest "rounds" or link-ups in the UK - the Paddy Buckley, the Bob Graham, and the Charlie Ramsay Round, each done consecutively in less than 24 hours, cycling in between them. That's 180 miles of running/hiking, with 85k of vert, 113 summits, and 400 miles between them. Yikes! What happened?

John is articulate, thoughtful, researches and plans everything to the max, and an amazing endurance athlete. You'll enjoy listening to his answers to these questions, and more.

Seth is one of those 'fast guys'. On one of the legendary CU track teams. He ran a 1:06:50 Half Marathon - while running a full Marathon. Meanwhile, Seth set FKTs on many of the Colorado 14ers, from Longs Peak to Mount Elbert ... where he tied Anton Krupicka's 8 year old FKT ... to the second. The very next day, Ryan Phebus broke it by a mere 3 seconds!

"After the pressure of college, I took 4-5 years off, which allowed me to get the fire back."

Seth is interesting, with a lot of knowledge and a unique perspective. And definitely check out his YouTube Channel - he does a good job with video - 93,700 Subscribers!

http://youtube.com/sethdemoor

There are now 52 Routes in Sweden, 34 of which were established just in the last few months!  Why?

We like to challenge ourselves, and FKTs are a wonderful outlet. Our view is FKTs should be an ultra distance.

Ultra indeed.  Welcome to the country that invented ÖTILLÖ, which is "island hopping" by swimming to multiple islands, running across them, then swimming to the next one.

You just put two points on the map, go from A to B, by any route you want, choosing your own strategy.

Sweden has other reasons to favor the ultra distances.  Stockholm is at 60 degrees latitude, and most of the country lies to the north of that.

It's a little extreme.  In the winter it never gets light, but in the summer it never gets dark - you can save weight by not bringing a headlamp.

Listen to more insider stories from the country that decided to not shut down during the pandemic.

You can't just locked everything down; it's not that simple.  You need a more dynamic view.

Enjoying the podcast?  Notice there is no advertising or sponsors - only YOU keep it happening!  Please donate $10 - $20 now:  

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Strava is everywhere! Quietly, not saying much, even though this company is fundamental in our recreational lives. But what goes on behind the curtain?

Strava reminds me of Apple - the minimalist interface, the super clean look - and you don't spray, you let the products do the talking.

We're focussed on what athletes need and want. We were able to hire the best people in San Francisco because they believed in Strava - we're mission-driven, and they got to build products for a sport they really cared about.

Black lives definitely matter - how are you approaching the needed changes in our culture?

It's a privilege to do what we do - we run and ride anywhere we want in safety - it's a real learning experience to realize that's not true for everyone. The more you learn, the more you need to learn. We're very committed to being anti-racist.

What should we know about Strava that we don't know?

"Local Legend" is new - instead of rewarding the fastest person, it rewards grit, persistence, and determination - whoever does a Segment the most times becomes the Local Legend (hot tip: the algorithm rolls over every 90 days.)

"Route Builder" is also new - you can create and then follow your own route - we basically know where athletes like to Run and Ride, so that information is used to help you build your route.

Then there's the "Kudo Bomb" (what?) - it's a hidden "easter egg" that's not on any of the menus (!)

And yes, you can't find this anywhere else, but Larissa divulges how many Users and Activities are on Strava (you'll have to listen to find out)!

On June 15 Joe "Stringbean" McConnaughy took an entire DAY off the previous best Unsupported time on the oldest long trail in the US, Vermont's 273 mile Long Trail. How did he do it?

Daylight is an under-recognized factor ... I would run the entire day with sunlight, set up camp at 9pm, eat as much food as I could, pass out for 2 hours until 11pm, be moving by 11:15, run until 3am, pass out at 3:15, get up at 5am, and do the whole thing over again.

YIKES! (This is why Stringbean set the FKT on the PCT, the AT, and now the Long Trail, while you and I did not.)

Definitely listen to Joe's insider tips - we go into valuable details on his shelter system, food planning (9,000cal/day), and why AT thru-hikers call the state, "Vermud".

And, hear what NOT to do!

I only brought one water filter. When I lost the o-ring seal, I couldn't get water. So I folded a leaf in half, poked a hole in it, and used a leaf to seal the bottle.

My headlamp battery went dead. So I used the iPhone hoping to get through the last night, but then it went dead, in the middle of a moonless night, while crossing a lake on a boardwalk. So I used the light from the display screen of my Go-Pro.

A sore throat made eating painful, so I cold-soaked my food, by pouring water into the baggie and letting it sit. I did that with Frito's, nuts ... and made "Oreo slushies".

Read Joe's Trip Report and see photos here.

Listen to Episode 22, the podcast on his Appalachian Trail FKT here.

Important Extra - - -

Joe also shares a positive message about integrating his outdoor activities, with the long overdue and super important upgrades to racial equality our country is finally enacting.

I’m also hoping this run and my platform will contribute towards positive change and equality in our country. The movement that’s happening in our streets right now shouldn’t stop when we get to the trailhead.

Joe cut his toothbrush in half to save weight ... and he also carried 8 rocks, weighing 13.5 ounces, with the names of 8 black folks killed by police (a tiny fraction of the lives lost) to raise awareness of the need to end police violence, stating,

We all should bear this weight.

Outdoor Afro fund - - -

Joe started a fund which has raised (as of this recording on June 24) $7,400 for Outdoor Afro, an organization "Where Black People & Nature Meet."

I personally just contributed ... let's have the fastest known time community push this over $10,000! Please consider donating now:

https://www.facebook.com/donate/338912980411437/10158117011470991/

At Fastest Known Time, we work hard and pride ourselves on being totally fair. It is all our jobs to ensure our entire country does the same for all its citizens.

Jason Hardrath and Ashly Winchester have notched 81 FKTs - 61 for Jason, and 20 for Ashly - in only the last two years.

"I'm not fast, but opportunistic, and will snag the women's FKT whenever possible."

"I go back to what Peter Bakwin told me: FKTs are like art - you know it when you see it, and you know it when you don't."

Their most recent FKT is the Lava Beds National Monument Traverse:

"It's the most number of caves in the country. The craft of this one was devising a route that wasn't too extreme, so someone gets stuck in a hole, while also not the easy caves, with lighting system. So you getting a good caving experience - and you're spending a mile underground."

Jason is renowned for his "Stoke Factor" ... does Ashly have trouble keeping up?

"We're training for life, because you never know what's coming next."

Ashly has her own excellent podcast: www.womxnofthewild.com

Enjoying hearing from these great people? You won't hear any ads, there is just YOU - so we're suggesting a donation of $10 or more - please do it here:

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Tim Mills brings us news from across the pond, explaining the British FKT scene.

Enjoying hearing from these great people? You won't hear any ads, there is just YOU - so we're suggesting a donation of $10 or more - please do it here:

– https://www.patreon.com/fastestknowntime

– https://fastestknowntime.com/support

Listen to me horribly mispronounce Bart's name, his kind correction, and then Bart explain the situation in Belgium:

"Starting today, we have entered the 'Exit Strategy' in Belgium - groups of 20 can go for a run - but no competitions until at least 7/31."

Western Europe has a VERY organized trail running scene - routes not only have their own webpages, but are all are clearly marked and identified. Bart explains the difference between "GR" routes, and the new "Extra Trail" designation.

"There are 30 Extra Trail routes. They are designed specifically for trail running."

Bart is entered into CCC (part of UTMB), scheduled for 24-30 August. Will this huge trail running festival happen this year?

"I don't think so. And I definitely hope it will not be a 'trimmed down' version. It should be in its 'full glory.'"

NOTE UTMB: This podcast was recorded May 18; UTMB has scheduled an announcement for May 20.

NOTE INTERNATIONAL: In the first 17 days of May, 58 new Routes have been established in western Europe alone, versus 56 in North America - unprecedented!

One of the best mountain runners in the world started as a Jiu Jitsu champion in Brazil. Visiting New Zealand in 2006, she got involved with Kiwi adventure multi-sports, then ran a Half-Marathon in the mountains - in the exact same time as her previous best, set on a flat paved course.

"My family were fighters. Then I discovered mountains."

She's lived in Chamonix for the past 10 years, been on the podium at many UTWT events, set FKTs on some of the highest mountains, and likes to engage in community projects at each of those locations, a project she calls, "White Flow" (see her website):

"Running is an individual sport, so sometimes I can feel empty. I am racing, feeling good, but it's just me. So creating this project, I can share, I can share my feelings, because always I want to help more."

Fernanda really worked at the Aconcagua FKT, succeeding on her third try, then went back 19 days later for an even bigger effort, being the first woman to go to the top and back starting from the trailhead, instead of from basecamp.

"My family and my sponsors were saying, 'Don't go!' But I was motivated, I was feeling good, I wanted to do it."

Would she like to set a good time on that big mountain seen outside her window in Chamonix?

"Yes, but conditions have to be perfect, because it's on a glacier. I want to come home!"