Shorecrest grad breaks Appalachian Trail record

Joe McConaughy, a Shorecrest graduate, just broke an impressive record: traveling 2,190-mile on the Appalachian Trail in 45 days, 12 hours, and 15 minutes.

“It’s pretty notorious for being the most challenging of the three long distant trails in the U.S.,” he said of the trail that goes from Georgia and Maine.

McConaughy, who previously broke the supported speed record for traversing the Pacific Crest Trail, averaged about 49 miles a day with a 22-28 pound pack on his back, which was about 15 hours a day.

This new record breaks the old “unsupported” record, set in 2015. McConaughy’s trek also broke the “supported” hiking record.

“It’s actually kind of awesome,” McConaughy told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show about letting his mind wander for 45 days. “A lot of my time was thinking about the trail … a lot time was spent calculating how long I needed to go before the next checkpoint … but it also went toward my friends and family.”

He did not listen to music on the trail.