Liz Derstine is a musician, runner, writer, and as of 2020, a long-distance hiker. On July 7, 2020, she embarked on the life-altering adventure of through-hiking the 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail, as quickly as possible.

Now, having had several years to reflect on this epic journey, Derstine tells her whole AT story: from what inspired her to want to hike the entirety of this daunting trail, to how it all went down, through to the many ways her life has changed as a result of transporting herself on foot, through the wilderness, from Georgia to Maine.

At its core, this is a journey of self-discovery.

Since her record-setting AT hike, Derstine has continued to embark on incredible multiday hiking adventures. She now holds many Fastest Known Time (FKT) records, including among others the Long Trail FKT for a self-supported woman. Most recently, on July 1, 2023, she set the FKT for a self-supported woman on the Via Alpina in Switzerland, finishing in just under seven days.

Derstine currently lives and Boston, and when she's away from the trail, she is studying classical piano at the Longy School of Music at Bard College.

Keep Up with Liz Derstine

Instagram: @pinkfeathers

Twitter: @pinkfeathers

Website: MercuryOnTheRun.com

Derstine's AT hike: MercuryOnTheRun.com/Appalachian-Trail

Website: LizDerstine.com

Liz Derstine's FKT Page: FastestKnownTime.com/athlete/Liz-Derstine-0

Music Credits

Thank you to Liz Derstine for allowing us to use her original piano suite music, inspired by her AT adventure

Clip of Gustav Holst's Mercury, was produced by Beta Music

All additional music and sound was created by Cormac O'Regan for Women's Running Stories

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