Pinhoti Trail Adventure Run

[jaybird]

This is the story of a team of ultra runners from Northern Alabama that will attempt to set the Fastest Known Time for covering the entire Pinhoti Trail from Flagg Mountain in Alabama to the Benton MacKaye Trail in Georgia by covering 325 miles in 7 days in the spring of 2010.  They will start somewhere around the first of May, or the first week of May.  Stand aside if you hear them coming, or you just might interrupt their 50+ miles per day!!

http://pinhotitrailadventurerun.blogspot.com/

[Firedog]

50 miles a day? That's truckin. Can a body take that much stress? Regardless of how conditioned someone is.

[Bearpaw]

50 miles a day? That's truckin. Can a body take that much stress? Regardless of how conditioned someone is.

For a week, an ultramarathoner and cross-country runner can manage it.  The current Appalachian Trail supported record of 47 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes means that ultrarunner averaged 46 miles per day for over a month and a half. 

To pull off a one-week hike on the Pinhoti would also mean an average of 46 miles per day, sustained for just one week.  Add to this fact that there is much less climbing on the PT versus the AT, as well as 85 miles are on smooth road, and it's certainly doable for a certain caliber of athlete.  It's still a very impressive feat should they pull it off, but quite doable compared to other such long-distance runs.

[Magic City Matt]

50 miles a day? That's truckin. Can a body take that much stress? Regardless of how conditioned someone is.

It can but they aren't exactly doing themselves any favors. Even the best athletes are likely to be doing themselves some form of harm at that rate. If you ask me the ultramarathon thing may be getting a bit too extreme these days.

[Cuffs]

theyre going to be in for a surprise when they have to bushwhack around Sweetwater lake, the water is still up in places...

And theres no telling what the fire and crews have done to the Dugger area section of trail...

[jaybird]

Don't know if everyone saw it on their website, but here is their anticipated schedule.  Days 1, 3, and 5 are all 50+ miles.  I can understand Day 1 because of all the roadwalk between Flagg Mtn. and FS603A, as well as Day 5 because of the GA rail trail.  But Day 3 crosses Dugger and Oakey, among other things:

Day 1 on May 1. 2010: 52.3 miles Start Flagg Mountain with end Skyway Road Crossing
Cumulative Total Mileage: 52.3

Day 2 on May 2. 2010: 48.7 miles Start Skyway Road Crossing with; end I-20 Crossing
Cumulative Total Mileage: 101.0

Day 3 on May 3. 2010: 54.0 miles Start I-20 Crossing with end CR 70 / Maxwell Gap Crossing
Cumulative Total Mileage: 155.0

Day 4 on May 4. 2010: 48.3 miles Start CR 70 / Maxwell Gap Crossing with end Simms Mountain Trailhead
Cumulative Total Mileage: 203.3

Day 5 on May 5. 2010: 54.0 miles Start Simms Mountain Trailhead with Snake Creek Gap Trailhead
Cumulative Total Mileage: 257.3

Day 6 on May 6. 2010: 46.9 miles Start Snake Creek Gap Trailhead with end Baker Branch Trailhead
Cumulative Total Mileage: 304.2

Day 7 on May 7. 2010: 30.7 miles Start Baker Branch Trailhead with end Benton MacKaye Trail
Cumulative Total Mileage: 334.9