iStockphoto / lzf/USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Woman trail runner cross country running on sand desert hill top
On July 23rd, French ultra runner Aurélien Sanchez of Toulouse set a new Pacific Crest Trail FKT (‘Fastest Known Time’) and covered the 2,653 mile trail in a time of 45 days 20 hours 11 minutes and 0 seconds. That record didn’t last long because Oklahoma hiker Nick Fowler, who began his Pacific Crest Trail FKT record trek on July 8th, just beat the record and now owns the fastest time of anyone to cover the distance.
The Pacific Crest Trail is truly one of the greatest trails in the world. It stretches from the US-Mexico border in Campo, California up north to the US-Canada border at Manning Park in British Columbia, spanning California, Oregon, and Washington and features up to 489,000 feet of elevation gain (total elevation climbed) throughout.
Let that sink in for a moment. The elevation gained on Mt. Everest from Base Cap to the Summit is 11,434 feet. That is the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest 42.77 times over the span of 45 days.
Nick Fowler Of Nebraska Sets Pacific Crest Trail Speed Record In 45 Days, 17 Hours, and 47 Minutes
Aurélien Sanchez is an incredibly accomplished trail runner. He held the Pacific Crest Trail FKT record with his time of 45d20h11m until Nick Fowler broke his record. Sanchez previously became the 16th ever finisher of the Barkely Marathons, holds the FKT on the John Muir Trail via Whitney Portal (CA) and the FKT of the Buckskin & Paria Canyons (UT). But the Pacific Crest Trail record is no longer his!
What sets them apart? Well, a lot. Aurélien Sanchez broke the Pacific Crest Trail FKT record last month with a crew meeting him at various staging points, assisting with meals, gear, etc. Nick Fowler did it entirely on his own. No crew. No team there to massage his feet and swap out bandages or make him home cooked meals. It was all him from Day 1 until he reached the Mexican border.
Nick Fowler began at the United States-Canada border on July 8th then covered an average distance of around 57 miles every single day until he finished the Pacific Crest Trail last Saturday.
This was not Fowler’s first time running the Pacific Crest Trail. He completed it back in 2023 in a time of 52 days, 9 hours, and 18 minutes. That was the PCT FKT unassisted speed record at the time but it had since been broken several times.
How Long Would It Take The Average Hiker?
On average, it takes hikers somewhere between 5 and 6 months to complete the Pacific Crest Trail in either direction. Typical daily mileage ranges from 18-22 miles/day for most hikers which is still a LOT when you consider the total elevation gain, dealing with unpredictable weather conditions, and more.
Also, just to clarify, that 5-6 month range includes zero rest days factored in. Most people thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail would factor in multiple rest days to recover and recharge. 6-7 months with rest is a reasonable target for most people, but Nike Fowler is not most people. And the reality is that most hikers break it up into sections, hiking for a week here and there and picking up where they left off.
It is also worth mentioning that ~90% of all Pacific Crest Trail hikers go from South-to-North, from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. Nick is in the 10% minority hiking from North to South for his PCT unassisted speed record. Aurélien Sanchez was in the 90%, hiking South to North for his FKT record that lasted just about a month.