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FKT Podcast: The Past, Present, and Future of FKTs with Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy

Adam Hodges | August 24, 2022

In this FKT Podcast hosted by Heather “Anish” Anderson, Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy shares his FKT experiences and philosophy:

It’s no secret that the FKT craze has skyrocketed over the past few years. What started as a niche concept relegated to the most quirky of already quirky mountaineers and thru-hikers has spread to every corner of the earth, garnering mainstream attention and sponsor support along the way. While the FKT community remains objectively fringe and tight-knit, it’s also somewhat unrecognizable from the obscure motley crew it once was.

Here to talk about the challenges and opportunities that arise with this change is someone who’s lived that transformation himself. When Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy set the self-supported record on the AT in 2017 – besting the supported record in the process – he was an unsponsored post-collegiate runner…who happened to have set the supported FKT on the PCT three years previously. Details, details. Now Joe represents the shoe company Brooks (among other sponsors) and thrives in his career as a professional runner, coach, and guide.

On this episode of the FKT Podcast, Joe and host Heather “Anish” Anderson discuss the growing pains that come with FKTs going “mainstream.” The once unwritten (yet strongly held) rule of contacting a current FKT holder before attempting to break it seems to have fallen by the wayside as the community has grown – and inevitably grown less tight-knit in the process. Should we bring the courtesy of calling the current record holder back? Weather, namely wildfires, has turned PCT FKT attempts into a question not of if you will have to re-route, but of how to re-route. Should some trail records simply be left alone some years?

Tune in to get Joe and Heather’s answers to these questions and many more. They also discuss the differences among supported, self-supported, and unsupported FKTs, and why some routes lend themselves to certain styles. Plus learn how Joe, a four-minute-and-twelve-seconds miler, found himself setting the supported record on the PCT just a few years after running cross country and track in college. And find out how Joe trains for setting records on long trails while also competing in (and winning) everything from 50ks to the Cocodona 250-mile race.

Related:

FKT Podcast with Anton Krupicka (cover photo)FKT Podcast: Anton Krupicka — This endurance maestro still does huge runs — and rides Salomon TV - KungsledenEmelie Forsberg’s FKT on the Kungsleden Trail Mental Skills Training: Keeping Your Head in the Game Alpine Start with Grace StabergAlpine Start Podcast: Professional Ultrarunners and Mountain Athletes Katie Schide and Germain Grangier Speedgoat Mountain RacesSpeedgoat Mountain Races Celebrate 15th Anniversary in Snowbird

Filed Under: Perspectives, Podcasts Tagged With: Adventure, Inspiration, Run, Trails

About Adam Hodges

Adam Hodges is a mountain endurance athlete and coach with credentials from the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy (UESCA), USA Triathlon (USAT), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). In addition to coaching multisport athletes, he has coached high school cross country and track runners in California and masters swimmers in Colorado and California. As a USAT All-American triathlete, he has competed in the ITU World Triathlon Championships, the ITU World Duathlon Championships, and the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a masters runner, he has won a series title in the XTERRA SoCal Trail Series. His current pursuits include trail running, climbing, mountaineering, skimo, and cross-country skiing. Check out his training plans and courses to help you prepare for you next adventure.

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