The Appalachian Trail Speed Record Attempt – Kristian Morgan

Three years have passed since I went on a life-changing adventure with Karel Sabbe, pacing him as he made his way along the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail to set a new FKT.  Now, I sit back thinking about the experience in retrospect. My passion for running was sparked many years ago after completing my first marathon.  Soon after I went in full pursuit of faster races … and 9 years later longer ultras! 

In the summer of 2018, I spent fifteen world-altering days running with Karel on an epic adventure, experiencing things that I never had before, the taste of it enough to get me hooked! It cemented in my spirit, that one day, I would re-visit the Appalachian trail and take on an attempt of my own!

The journey that I find myself on today stemmed from an invitation to join Karel. While heading out into the unknown has certainly brought its share of melancholy, it has also brought about magnificence, teaching me lessons and birthing wisdom that only ‘failure’ can bestow, fomenting knowledge as I compartmentalize the hardships that the trails present us, absorbing the education I have received, not just in running, but in life too!

It is frustrating and yes, it hurts, thoughts of disappointment dance in the mind as I sit in camp, only days after calling off the attempt, reflecting on all that I have been through. Yet, there is an underlying awareness that this experience, though difficult to digest now, will only broaden my experiences and widen the path for future endeavours. True failure is never getting in the ring, lacking the guts to give it a go, allowing the opportunities to pass, anything else is simply fortitude in its creation. The 2021 Appalachian Trail speed record attempt lasted only six days, but what an adventure it was!

The road to the Appalachian Trail was an experience in and of itself, a challenge before the challenge! I was taken on a rollercoaster of ups and downs. What I had thought was a golden egg had been just a mirage, and in the lead up to the attempt, the atmosphere had been tainted by ill intent. As though a great storm had rolled in, looming in the air, the threat was tangible, and I began my journey with a heavy heart. Though almost as quickly as it came, it passed, and without so much as a goodbye, the airlifted, our shoulders lightened, and the energy was restored.