āPushing your limits and sufferingā: What it takes to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in record time
This article comes from the SF Chronicle. As much as I object to racing through some of the most beautiful country in the world, I admit to a level of awe at the achievement of people like Karel Sabbe. To think of walking more than a double marathon every day for a month and a half in the mountains is inconceivable.
Since shattering the speed record on the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail last weekend, Karel Sabbe has been taking it easy: flip flops, family time, lots of sleep, burgers and Mexican food.
āMy body is still in full recovery mode,ā Sabbe told the Chronicle on Friday morning from Seattle, where he has been staying the past week.
The 33-year-old Belgian dentist set out on the trail from the Mexican border on July 10 and trekked for nearly 47 consecutive daysĀ ā pushing through extreme desert heat in Southern California, then the perilous melting Sierra snowpack, and finally a string of wildfires in the Northwest that closed portions of the trail and forced Sabbe and other thru-hikers to reroute. By the end, he had averaged about 58 miles per day.
āMy legs have been randomly cramping up and they feel really tired when I have to take staircases,ā Sabbe said. āIt feels like itās getting worse every day. ā¦ For sure, I havenāt been able to think about running again.ā
Sabbe is an accomplished ultrarunner known for going hard in gnarly landscapes. He holds the supported speed record on the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail (finishing in 41 days) and completed a traverse of the Alps (through eight countries) in the fastest known time of 30 days. Heās one of just a handful of people to finish the notorious 100-mileĀ Barkley Marathon in Tennessee.
Karel Sabbe runs on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2023.Provided by Karel Sabbe
It was Sabbeās second time setting the PCT record. The first came in 2016, when he finished in 52 days. Then two years ago, world-class ultrarunner Timothy Olson shaved a day off of Sabbeās time, finishing in 51 days.
Sabbe returned this year to reclaim the record. On Aug. 26, when he reached the northern terminus, he had smashedĀ Olsonās record by more than five days. Both runners were supported along their journeys by crews who made camp along the route and tended to them daily.
To learn what it takes to accomplish such a feat, the Chronicle sent Sabbe a list of questions, which he replied to via voice memos. The following transcription of that correspondence is lightly edited for length and clarity.
Q:Ā Why do you do these extreme, long-distance trail runs? What is the appeal of chasing speed records?
A: At first, back in 2016, when I ran the PCT for the first time I didnāt know the exact appeal of an FKT (fastest known time) attempt like that. I just wanted to hike the PCT but I didnāt have the time to take 4-to-6 months off workĀ ā but 2 months was possible, so I decided to run the trail.Ā
In hindsight, I realized there was a lot of beauty in running a trial like that. There was the scenic beauty, but by pushing your limits, your emotions are stronger and the things you experience are stronger and more valuableĀ ā like the interaction with people around you, your friends and family who are supporting you. You learn a ton about yourself when youāre pushing your limits and suffering. I always return from these FKT attempts as a stronger and more optimistic person. They always influence me in a good way.
Q: How did you feel after your first record run in 2016? After finishing, did you feel like you could have done it faster?
A: The first PCT run was a very special experience because it was the first thing I did when it came toĀ ultrarunning. I learned a lot but I also suffered a lot. Then over the years, while setting the record on the Appalachian Trail and the traverse of the Alps, I learned a lot more and I knew the PCT record could be a lot faster. So it felt natural to go back to this unique trail and to be able to run itĀ ā physically and mentally pushing hard but without running in so much pain and without so much sleep deprivation. It was really nice to go back in different circumstances now.
Q: In 2021, when you saw TimothyĀ Olson break your record, did you immediately know youād go back to try to reclaim it?
Karel Sabbe covered an average of 58 miles per day to reclaim the speed record run on the Pacific Crest Trail.Provided by Karel Sabbe
Q: What did you learn from your first PCT run that informed your approach this time?
A: With this one, we had everything much more dialed in. In 2016, it was just me and my brother-in-law, but this year I had a 4-person crew. (During the first run) I had so much pain in my feet ā blisters and extreme pain ā that it was so hard to think about something else other than the fact that I was suffering. So this time I was always cleaning my feet. In the evening I took a salt bath, had creams and things to take care of my feet so I successfully treated them. I didnāt have any blisters during the entire PCT which helps so much if youāre not running in pain.Ā
Q: Why did you attempt the record this year? Obviously, itās a very challenging year with the Sierra snow.
A: The snow in the Sierra was definitely challenging and it worried me for a few months. From all over the world I got messages like, āKarel donāt do it, itās not possible this year.ā But things were in motion already with my friends who were going to support me and with my sponsor. So we postponed it for a month from the 10th of June to 10th of July.
By the time we got to the High Sierra, it was still very much snow covered but it was doable. Three of us went in together with proper backpacks because there was so much snow, and the river crossings were so dangerous, that I didnāt dare to go in there alone. There were some flooded rivers that were difficult to cross but with three of us as a team we managed to go through the High Sierra.
Karel Sabbe pauses for a selfie in the snow-covered High Sierra.Provided by Karel Sabbe
Q: Mentally, how do you stay sharp out there for so long? What do you think about on the trail?
A: The PCT is my favorite trail in the world so I was always feeling at home in the world. Sometimes your mind is racing a bit about worries you have or something, and (in those moments) it would help to listen to music. But mostly I was just happy to be out on the trail and I was trying to feel like a thru-hiker and not think about the fact that it was for a record. The moment youāre in the flow and not thinking about anything, thatās the best moment to be in. Then I also hadĀ Henri and Kobe ā¦ so we could run together and talk. But the scenery was most important to me. Itās a beautiful trail. Itās very diverse and changes a lot, so thatās enough to keep me going.
Q: How important is having the PCT speed record? If someone breaks your record, do you think youāll give it one more go?
A: I donāt think Iād be able to do it faster and Iām sure I wonāt be going back. Iām just proud of what weāve accomplished. The chapter of theĀ FKT is done (for me). The only reason Iād go back is to hike it with my family. Itās a beautiful trail and Iād like to do it in five or six months, taking all the time I want. For one part of me, it means a lot to me to have the record. But now that I have it and I know I did my personal best, Iām happy that somebody will go after it and itāll be broken in the future.
By Gregory Thomas
