John Kelly, a fixture in the world of ultrarunning, is deep into a monumental effort to break the supported speed record on the Appalachian Trail.
His journey spans nearly 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine and has become more than just a test of endurance; it’s a tribute to his father, who is battling cancer.
Kelly, known for being one of the few people ever to finish the infamous Barkley Marathons three times, began his Appalachian Trail record attempt on May 25, 2025.
He is aiming to beat the current fastest known time (FKT) of 40 days, 18 hours, and 5 minutes, set in 2024 by Tara Dower. “Possibly the most impressive FKT ever,” Kelly called it earlier this year.
But this isn’t just a physical challenge for Kelly, it’s a deeply emotional one.
In a candid update shared on Instagram during his twelfth day on the trail, Kelly reflected on his father’s life and the sacrifices he made to support their family.
“My Dad spent his career working with a lot of bad radiological materials in order to provide for our family, give opportunities to me and my brother. And that’s almost definitely why he has cancer,” Kelly said. “So I am going to continue to remind myself that this is one of those opportunities, that when things do get tough, I’m choosing to do this.”
At the time of the post, Kelly was dealing with sweltering heat in Virginia and adjusting to the brutal routine of logging ultra distances daily. He compared the rhythm of his journey to a demanding job: “I get up and I put in the miles and I go to sleep, and I repeat. Just like any other job.”
He also took a moment to reflect more broadly on the concept of work and sacrifice.
“You know, it’s how people go to jobs that they hate, or that put them in harm’s way for multiple days in a row, and then 40 years in a row on top of that. That’s not a knock on those people at all. Do what you gotta do to survive and provide.”
Kelly’s attempt is being closely watched by fans and fellow athletes, many of whom are tracking his progress in real-time through a GPS-enabled live tracker.
With less than two weeks on the trail, he’s already contemplating the finish, joking that he’s “put in [his] four weeks’ notice” and is looking forward to a “retirement party in Maine.”
The Appalachian Trail is notoriously grueling, stretching across 14 states and featuring a staggering 465,000 feet of elevation gain.
Most hikers take five to seven months to complete it. For Kelly to break the record, he’ll need to average more than 54 miles per day through rugged terrain, volatile weather, and mounting fatigue.
The current FKT holder, Tara Dower, broke the record just last September. Her effort, which improved on Belgian runner Karel Sabbe’s 2018 time by more than 13 hours, was widely praised in the ultrarunning world.
This isn’t Kelly’s first brush with the trail, either.
He attempted the Appalachian Trail FKT in 2020 but was forced to end his run early due to injury. Since then, he’s remained active in the ultrarunning scene, setting records on the Pennine Way in the UK and consistently returning to the Barkley Marathons.
But this attempt feels different…more personal. It’s fueled not just by his own drive but by a desire to honor the quiet sacrifices that shaped his life. “It’s a pretty cool job,” he said, “I’m going to continue to keep getting up, putting in those double shifts and doing what I can.”
