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Fastest PCT Hike in History: Nick Fowler’s 45-Day Thru-Hike Sets New Overall FKT
Nick Fowler, 38, has just set the overall fastest known time (FKT) on the Pacific Crest Trail, finishing the entire trek on Saturday in 45 days, 17 hours and 47 minutes.
This is the second time in 2026 that a PCT speed record has fallen: Aurélien Sanchez completed the trail Northbound in July in 45 days, 20 hours and 11 minutes with a dedicated support crew. Now, Fowler has not only claimed the men’s self-supported SOBO FKT, but has also become the overall fastest person ever to hike the PCT — in any direction, supported or unsupported — beating Sanchez’s time by just under 2 and a half hours.
In doing so, Fowler is also breaking his own self-supported southbound record from 2023, when he finished the PCT in 52 days, 9 hours, and 18 minutes.
Fowler told the San Francisco Chronicle that he drew on his previous PCT experience to plan for this year’s effort, consuming upwards of 12,000 calories per day and burning through 15 pairs of trail runners along the way. He pushed himself to hike 18 hours per day, ending the journey in peak Southern California heat that sometimes exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Supported vs. Self-Supported vs. Unsupported FKTs
The main difference between these three types of fastest known times is how much external support the athlete receives during their hike.
Supported: A supported FKT allows an athlete a support crew that joins them on the trail, meets them at crossings, and provides services like carrying gear, cooking meals, pacing, and providing a place to sleep.
Self-Supported: A self-supported FKT lets the athlete use only the resources available to anyone else who would be on the trail at that time. This includes the ability to use water spigots, motels, grocery stores, or the post office. However, athletes must carry all their own gear along the way and are not allowed to have any people on the trail specifically there to help them.
Unsupported: There is a third style of FKT called the unsupported record, which does not allow an athlete to have any external support or resupply of any kind from start to finish. The only exception is gathering water from natural, on-trail sources like streams. Once a trail becomes long enough, an unsupported record becomes nearly impossible, as it requires the athlete to start the trail with all the food they will consume during the attempt. There is currently no unsupported FKT of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Overall: The overall record is simple: it is the fastest time an athlete completes the trail, regardless of gender, direction, support style, or time of year. The supported record is often also the overall FKT, as supported hikers can move quickly with the benefit of crew assistance and light packs. In this case, Fowler’s overall FKT was, notably, a self-supported effort.
Nick Fowler’s History with Fastest Known Times
Fowler boasts an impressive history as a speed hiker. Currently, he holds the men’s unsupported FKT on the Ouachita Trail along with the men’s self-supported FKTs on the Oregon section of the PCT, Arizona Trail, Oregon Trail, PCT SOBO, Ozark Trail, and Pacific Northwest Trail.
In order to set the overall PCT FKT this summer, Fowler averaged 57 miles per day. Fowler has yet to post about the achievement on his social media, but the new record has been published on FastestKnownTime.com. On that platform, he publicly thanked his family, friends, and coach for their support throughout the attempt. “Thanks to Aurelien Sanchez for setting the bar higher, and for his support and encouragement as this journey came to a close,” he also wrote.
Featured image: Nick Fowler
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Comments 9
Who has the overall slowest record 🤔
Hey, look at me, missing the entire pt of hiking.
Desert Jesus is King!
Just unfathomable how he can go that hard and that far. Is it a perfect PCT FKT, or does he think there is more time to save?
Someone can usually always get a little faster. He averaged about 3.17 mph hiking speed if he hiked 18 hrs./day each day, which is really good.
What shoe brand did he use? Or was it a vary cadre of shoes.
To my way of thinking, that’s a good hike wasted. Nothing to be admired. But, hey, you do you.
That’s a good point, there’s way too much being made of FKTs on shorter hikes and climbs. For a runner to switch from city streets to a few minutes or hours on an uphill trail is a good change of scenery but doesn’t really allow for much enjoyment of the surroundings. It also puts the focus of the activity on the ego of the runner, not where they are. But, I’ve been guilty of that myself. Many people repeat things they’ve already done in a more relaxed manner. And maybe these FKT types balance those efforts with more leisurely extended trips. However, for this guy, spending 45 days straight in nature is a pretty good stint of getting away from it all! His avg. speed was just a bit over 3 mph, a fast walking speed. He had plenty of time to look around.
Just wondering whether the unsupported type of thru hike for a long distance trail like the PCT allows someone to get food along the way, like by trapping or fishing? If it doesn’t, it should.
Also wondering about pre-placed food caches made by the contestants on self supported FKT attempts. Many other thru hikers do that, so I’d presume it’s allowed, if grocery stores are.