This week we’re traveling to the thin air and high alpine peaks of Colorado for a very special episode of the FKT Podcast. Last summer, not one, not two, not three, but four FKTs went down on the Colorado Trail within weeks of each other. All four women—Claire Bannwarth, Tara Dower, Nina Bridges, and Melinda McCaw—join host Heather Anderson to break down their incredible efforts. 

The Colorado Trail snakes 500 miles from Denver to Durango, traveling through some of the most spectacular scenery in the state, including six wilderness areas and eight mountain ranges. Runners and thru-hikers can elect to go east to west or vice versa. And with the option to stay low in the shadow of the Collegiate Peaks (Collegiate East) or traverse high across the backside (Collegiate West), there’s a total of four options. Add on top of that traveling in a supported, self-supported, or unsupported style, and FKTs abound on this iconic trail.

Today’s guests ran the gamut, from Tara and Nina’s highly contested supported FKTs for the overall women’s record, to Melinda setting a new mark going supported in the same direction (east to west) but with the Collegiate West variant, to Claire’s mind-blowing self-supported mark going west to east. They break it all down on the podcast, divulging why they chose to go in these directions and styles, the logistics behind their attempts, the sleep deprivation, injuries, and gear malfunctions they overcame along the way, and why for at least some of them it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever done. Don’t miss this masterclass on this classic trail!

Follow Claire’s, Tara’s, Nina’s, and Melinda’si adventures on Instagram, and check out their performances on fastestknowntime.com. 

And last but not least, big thanks to Janji for supporting the podcast as we head into a new year. We’re proud to partner with this trail running apparel powerhouse, whose super durable apparel comes with a five-year run everywhere guarantee. (Not to mention, two percent of sales are donated to clean water programs in the places we run.) Head to janji.com and take 10 percent off with the code FKT.