This summer, ultrarunner Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy accomplished a feat for the ages, completing the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail unsupported in just 45 days, beating the old self-supported record by nine days and, amazingly, also beating the supported record by 10 hours.
He averaged 48 miles a day during his time on the trail, and his final hours on the AT saw him endure 70-mile-per-hour winds, hail, rain and a 37-hour sleepless stretch of running and climbing.
McConaughy was recently interviewed by irunfar.com, where he discussed the conditions he dealt with on the trail, the injuries he had to overcome and the mind-boggling amount of food he had to eat to fuel his run.
Read Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy’s account of his record-breaking Appalachian Trail run.