This runner just hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in record time

Scott Jurek
(Image credit: Scott Jurek/Twitter)

Accomplished ultramarathon runner Scott Jurek hiked all 2,168.1 miles of the Appalachian Trail in record time, finishing in Maine on Sunday, National Geographic reports. His time of 46 days, 8 hours, and 20 minutes eclipsed Jennifer Pharr Davis' 2011 record by about three hours.

The record-breaking hike is just one of his many incredible feats. He won the notoriously grueling 100-mile Western States Endurance Run seven times in a row and holds the record for most miles run in a 24-hour period. He is also featured in Christopher McDougall's best-selling book Born to Run. Jurek, 41, plans to retire soon. Yeah, he's probably earned it.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.