Tara Dower breaks overall Long Trail speed record in Vermont

She’s done it again: Virginia-based ultrarunner Tara Dower, who gained notoriety last September after smashing Karel Sabbe’s overall Appalachian Trail record, has set a new supported FKT (fastest known time) on Vermont’s Long Trail. Dower completed the 273-mile (439-m) distance in three days, 18 hours and 29 minutes (pending ratification)–two and a half hours faster than the men’s record, held by Will Petersen, and about a day and a half faster than the previous women’s supported record set by Alyssa Godesky in 2018. 

Dower and her crew set off Friday at the trail’s northern terminus, near the Quebec border, moving southbound along the main ridge of the Green Mountains to the border with Massachusetts. The mountainous trail brings unrelenting elevation gain (more than 20,000 metres’ worth), but Dower took it in stride (so to speak), running through her first night on the trail without stopping for more than a few minutes at a time to rest and have her crew tend to her blistered feet. She drew support from numerous pacers who joined her for portions of the run. 

American woman sets wild Appalachian Trail speed record

The attempt came a couple of months after a DNF at Western States 100; she was first on the waitlist when Hardrock 100 started in July, but didn’t get to race. In February, Dower podiumed in the 100K at Black Canyon Ultras in Arizona.

Dower’s goal for the FKT attempt was also to raise $10,000 for the Green Mountain Club, which maintains the trail; she has already surpassed her goal by more than $2,000. If you’d like to donate, click here.