Karl Meltzer Attempts Record Run of Appalachian Trail

At 5 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2008, at Mt. Katahdin, Maine, ultra-runner Karl Meltzer will begin his attempt to break the Appalachian Trail through-run speed record. To be successful, he must run 2,174 miles in 47 days - an average of more than 46 miles per day - over some of the roughest terrain and during the most sweltering, buggiest season on the Eastern Seaboard. Meltzer, 40, is a world-class, professional trail runner who has won 49 of the 92 ultra-marathons that he's started - including 23 100-mile races. He holds the record for the most 100-mile wins in one year: six in 2006. In 2006, he was named the USATF, Ultrarunning Magazine and RRCA Runner of the Year.

"Never before have I set a challenge for myself like this one," said Karl Meltzer. "I always thought 100 miles at a time was enough, but 2,174 miles in 47 days should raise the bar a bit." Meltzer will start at Mt. Katahdin and finish at Mt. Springer, Ga. He will spend most of the 47-day attempt running alone on the trail, but will be supported by his experienced crew.

Check in for updates at whereskarl.com - the official tracking site for Meltzer's speed record attempt. Meltzer's compact SPOT Satellite Messenger(TM) will relay his coordinate information every 10 minutes, automatically updating an interactive map on the Where's Karl? Web site. The site will also feature a daily summary of goal-versus-actual miles and hours, a support crew blog and an image and video gallery.