A woman recently ran the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, beating the fastest known time by 13 hours.
Tara Dower is a 31-year-old professional runner who recently completed approximately 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail on the East Coast in approximately 40 days.
The woman from Boulder, Colorado, told Fox News Digital she had hiked this trail before, but not this fast.
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“In 2019, I completed the Appalachian Trail in five months and 10 days, and I wanted to get the fastest known attempts at better trail times,” she said.
Tara Dower (pictured) completed the Appalachian Trail in 40 days, beating the fastest known time by about 13 hours. (Tara Dower)
This time, Dower decided she wanted to break the fastest known time to complete the Appalachian Trail, which took about 41 days and seven hours, she said.
A former runner, Dower said she had been in great shape all her life before the attempt, but this effort was a challenge.
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“It was 40 days with so much to experience,” she said. “There are really hard days when I can't stop crying.”
Dower said Maine and New Hampshire are some of the toughest times on the trail. (Tara Dower)
Dower stated that she ran about 75–80% of the route on cruise control, so she was not alone the entire time, but she repeatedly said she was struggling mentally.
“I was just sleep deprived and sometimes I had little hallucinations of the action,” she said, adding that she tripped and fell many times during the trip.
The 2,189-mile route stretches through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
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According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, it usually takes five to seven months to complete this trail.
Dower, a Colorado native, has been a runner for most of her life. (Tara Dower)
Her mother and crew chief were by her side to ensure she was fed and cared for at all times.
Dower said she sometimes ran 7 to 10 miles alone before she saw someone on the road.
“I saw myself as a race car and the crew was the pit crew,” she explained. “So they keep me going, they keep me going and they do whatever it takes to keep me going.”
Dower tried to consume about 300 calories per hour while running, ranging from energy gummies to goldfish crackers, pretzels and wraps.
Dower said her recovery involved relaxing and savoring her great achievement. (Tara Dower)
At each intersection, Dower drank beer protein shake within a few minutes, continuing to walk before running down the trail again.
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“Maine and New Hampshire have been really difficult,” she said. “The terrain in the Northeast is pretty rugged and technical… and that makes it even more difficult when you're in New Hampshire (and) it's these rocks, literally boulders, that you have to climb on.”
After 40 days, 18 hours and five minutes, Dower completed the Appalachian Trail in record time.
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Although she and her crew knew she would break the record, Dower stated she didn't believe it until the final three miles.
A Colorado woman ran the entire Appalachian Trail on the East Coast in record time. (Tara Dower)
“I didn't believe I was going to make it to the FKT until about 3 miles from the finish because I was falling so often and so often – and very violently – that I thought I might fall at any moment and break my kneecap or knee. I somehow dislocated my shoulder and couldn’t continue working,” she said.
As for his recovery, Dower said he is dealing with a bit of brain fog and a glute injury.
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“The next thing will be to eat more ice cream and sleep more,” she said.
According to the online magazine outsideonline.com, before Dower, Karel Sabbe achieved the fastest known time to run the Appalachian Trail in 41 days, 7 hours and 38 minutes in 2018. outdoor news and adventure.
Fox News Digital reached out to an Appalachian Trail representative for comment.
