John Kelly is putting the finishing touches to his long-awaited tilt at the Appalachian Trail.
The ultrarunning legend, who has three Barkley Marathon finishes to his name alongside a whole host of other achievements, has wanted to tackle the near 2,200-mile trail for as long as he can remember.
It runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passes through 14 states and is part of ultrarunning folklore – only last year Kelly himself hailed Tara Dower for what he called: “Possibly the most impressive FKT ever.“
She covered the 2,197.4 miles in 40 days, 18 hours and five minutes, finishing late on Saturday 21 September to take 13 hours and 32 minutes off the previous fastest known time, set by another Barkley Marathons finisher in Karel Sabbe in 2018.
‘It’s now, or it’s maybe never’
And Kelly revealed earlier this year that he has a window of opportunity to have a go himself, writing on his social channels: “Before I knew what ultrarunning was, when Frozen Head was nothing more to me than a local park, and I had never seen another mountain range or really even been outside the East Tennessee Valley (other than the annual family pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach). Back when 5K was long & before I had any idea what a bog, fell, or mince pie was. There was the AT.
“It captivated me, and overwhelmed me. Do people really walk that far? How could this trail through my mountains lead farther from home than I’ve ever been in my life? Is someone else standing on it a thousand miles away wondering the same thing?
“It was always there in my mind, always a second-tier priority. One day. College, marriage, grad school. It’s still there… I’ll get to it one day. Kids, startup, move to another country, move back. One day. One day I’ll do it.
“It is still there. Hurricane Helene ripped apart the mountains themselves, but thanks to an extraordinary effort by trail crews, the AT remains. I hope it always will.
“But I will not. I have a window this year, after I’ve made it far enough in my career to take the time off, before the kids have their own big summer obligations, and while I’m still young enough to not only see the whole trail but to see what I’m capable of on it. All my experience, knowledge, and fitness from the last decade in this sport – they’ve all built towards it. This is my running dissertation.
“Maybe many years from now I can enjoy a long walk on it with @jessilailkelly or our kids, soaking in every last view & sunset. But nothing is guaranteed. It’s now, or it’s maybe never. Starting May 25th at Springer Mountain, I’ll take my chance & finally see where that trail leads. My run along it will be fully supported.”
‘The hay is in the barn’
And this weekend just gone, Kelly wrapped up his recces as the countdown continues to that start date.
He wrote on Instagram: “I guess the hay is in the barn. Now I’ll have about 40 days to figure out where that barn is.
“Two last long training days on the Appalachian Trail, covering nearly the entire stretch from the final NC to TN crossing at Doll Flats in the Roan Highlands, around Watauga Lake, and down into Damascus where the 550 mile VA section begins.
“In terms of proximity this is my home section, my neighborhood visible from a small outcropping about 10 meters off the trail. It was also one of the final areas to reopen after Hurricane Helene. A tremendous amount of work went into making this trail passable again. The evidence will remain for years – tunnels of tangled brush, cleancut logs, and giant root balls. One of my main goals on the AT will be to highlight the work that has been done, the recovery that remains, and to raise additional support to help make that work possible.
“Two weeks until I head to Springer Mountain in Georgia to begin my 2,200 mile adventure with friends up to Maine.”
It will be fascinating to follow and we’ll be keeping a close eye on his progress here on RUN247.
