Ultimate Direction has been catching up with our athletes over the past week, and after chasing after them for some incredible updates we are a bit out of breath. From the elevation, to the sheer endurance, to the speed, our athletes have been posting some big accomplishments that we are excited to share.
-Scott Jurek has been on the 2,168 mile Appalachian Trail for the past 4+ weeks. His goal of 42 days, or 51.6 miles per day, will give him title of the FKT on the trail if he can complete it as planned. Jurek put the state of Connecticut behind him on June 25th. His relentless forward progress has him well within reach of the FKT, which is held by Jennifer Pharr in a time of 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes.
To follow along, check out his Facebook page for live tracking courtesy of Delorme GPS.
Scott hits the halfway point on the AT, with exactly 1,090.5 miles separating him from the start at Mt. Springer, Georgia, to the finish at Mt. Katahdin in Maine.
Photo: Luis Escobar
Scott pushes forward on the Appalachian Trail.
Photo: Luis Escobar
-Timothy Olson is competing in the Lavaredo Ultra Trail, a 119k race in Italy this coming weekend. Additionally, he will be hosting a Run Mindful Retreat in in August. This event is sure to be full of panoramic views on the trails, and knowledge on how to live your life to its fullest while immersed in nature. Check out his page http://www.timothyallenolson.com for more information.
–Michele Yates, Pam Smith, Gina Lucrezi, and Larisa Dannis will be taking on Western States 100 this weekend. Ethan Veneklasen will also be making a trip to WS to crew for Mike Wardian.
–Sage Canaday had a great performance at the iconic Comrades marathon earlier this month in Durban, South Africa. He placed 15th overall in a huge field of talent.
Sage Canaday leads the way at the 2015 Comrades Marathon.
-Justin Simoni recently completed the Tour 14er, an unsupported bike ride to all the 14ers… accompanied by a run up each of them. The effort took him 34 days and 12 hours. This FKT story is seriously awesome- feel free to check out the story the UD blog, as well as http://longranger.justinsimoni.com/tour14er for Justin’s personal recollection. He also includes some great photos and data.
Justin Simoni lets out a victory cry after conquering all of Colorado’s 14ers on the Tour 14er. He is pictured wearing the Fastpack 30.
–Travis Macy recently released his book The Ultra Mindset, a book about living life, business, and success through the experiences of an endurance athlete. We highly recommend taking a look at it, as it is an insightful collection of lessons. Find more info at http://travismacy.wix.com/travismacy.
–Sarah Lavender Smith completed the San Francisco 24 Hour race, knocking out 115 miles for the win.
Sarah Lavender Smith crosses the finish after 115 miles at the Summer Solstice 24 hour race
–Chantal Warriner took home a belt buckle from Bighorn 100 this past weekend after pushing across epic terrain and huge climbs.
Chantal Warriner at the Bighorn 100, rocking the UD Jenny Vesta.
-Jeremy Wolf has been training for the Eiger Trail 100k. The race has 22k ft. of vertical, so he has been training by putting in some intense climbs on the Bitterroot mountains of Missoula.
Jeremy Wolf looks out over the Bitteroot Mountains in Missoula.
–Brandon Yonke raced Yankee Springs in Michigan and took 1st place in the 52 mile as well as 10k. He has since moved out to Boulder for the summer for a marketing internship at UD HQ.
Brandon Yonke takes on Yankee Springs 52 Mile in Michigan. He is pictured in the SJ Vest and UD hat.
–Josh Arthur placed 3rd at the US Skyrunner Quest for the Crest 50k a few weeks ago. He will be competing in the Power of Four 50k, another Skyrunner race in July. He’s also been chasing upness on Mt. Elbert and the Flatirons.
Josh Arthur at the top of the second flatiron in Boulder, CO.
UD is gearing up for Hardrock 100- we will be heading out to Silverton next week. If you are in the area, be sure to stop by and say hi, and to cheer on all the athletes!
Do you have an adventure to share with UD? Leave a comment below!
Best of success on your endeavors!
– The UD Team