For almost nine years, the fastest supported run along one of the best known trails in the United States had resisted every challenge.
Shortly before 6am on Wednesday September 23rd, Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy reached Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley with his tracker showing exactly two days and 16 hours on the clock.
McConaughy had travelled 223 miles from Whitney Portal, crossed the Sierra Nevada and accumulated about 47,000 feet of climbing. His claimed time of 64 hours would cut three hours and 26 minutes from the previous supported men’s mark.
There is one important qualification. The Fastest Known Time website currently lists the effort as complete, with a new fastest known time pending verification. The run is therefore a record claim until its evidence has been reviewed and accepted.
A Third Attempt At The Same Target
The result followed two unsuccessful supported attempts by McConaughy in 2022 and 2024.
Those earlier outcomes made this more than a first encounter with an unfamiliar line on a map. McConaughy already knew the trail through previous runs, long distance hiking and guiding work. He had also completed an unsupported passage in the opposite direction in 2022, recording a time of three days, one hour and 34 seconds.
The supported record remained a separate problem. It demanded a faster overall schedule, carefully timed assistance and the ability to keep moving when small delays could become decisive.
This time, the third attempt carried him all the way to Yosemite.
A Nine Year Mark To Chase
The target belonged to François D’Haene, who completed the same northbound route in two days, 19 hours and 26 minutes in October 2017.
McConaughy began at Whitney Portal at 1.47pm on Sunday September 20th. For roughly the opening 100 miles, his progress remained close to D’Haene’s schedule.
That portion included the route’s highest and most demanding ground. A northbound runner climbs from Whitney Portal towards Mount Whitney before continuing across a succession of major mountain passes.
By Tuesday morning, at around 135 miles, McConaughy had moved about two miles ahead of the old record schedule. The advantage then grew quickly. Near the 185 mile point on Tuesday night, his tracker placed him more than nine miles ahead with fewer than 40 miles remaining.
He covered that final section through the night and reached Happy Isles before dawn on Wednesday. The tracking comparison showed him finishing about 13 miles ahead of D’Haene’s progress at the equivalent time.
What 64 Hours Really Means
An average speed of about three and a half miles per hour may look modest without context. On this route, the clock never pauses.
That average includes every climb, descent, food stop, equipment change and period of rest across almost three days. It also covers terrain where altitude, darkness and fatigue can turn an ordinary mile into a lengthy task.
McConaughy travelled in the supported category, which permits outside assistance such as pacers, food and equipment from a crew. His team arranged access at points including Kearsarge, Taboose, Bishop, Vermilion Valley Resort, Mammoth Pass and Tuolumne.
Support changes how the attempt is managed, but not the distance or the running clock. Every pause still belongs to the final time, and the details of the assistance form part of the evidence considered during verification.
More Than The Official Trail
The John Muir Trail itself runs between Yosemite Valley and the summit of Mount Whitney. For fastest known time purposes, the recognised route continues for another 11 miles between the summit and Whitney Portal.
That extension takes the complete challenge to 223 miles. It passes through Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks, as well as the John Muir and Ansel Adams wilderness areas.
Travelling north means confronting much of the highest ground early. It also places the finish at Happy Isles, which sits considerably lower than Whitney Portal. That broad drop in elevation helps explain why many speed attempts choose the northbound direction, although the route still contains repeated major climbs long after Mount Whitney has been left behind.
A Record Claim Awaiting Its Final Check
McConaughy has built a substantial record beyond the Sierra Nevada, including fastest known times on major American trails and victory at the 2022 Cocodona 250.
This attempt, however, will stand or fall on its own evidence. The John Muir Trail is classed as a Premier Route by Fastest Known Time, bringing a high standard of documentation and review.
If the 64 hour performance is ratified, it will become the first improvement to the supported men’s northbound mark since 2017. It would also turn two failed attempts into the groundwork for a record that had remained untouched for nearly nine years.
The status of the attempt can be followed on the Fastest Known Time website.
