Tara Dower has made ultra running history for the second time, setting a new overall speed record on Vermont's Long Trail. She completed the 273-mile (439k) trail to raise funds for the Green Mountain Club, which preserves the historic trail.
Dower first sprinted into public consciousness less than a year ago when she delivered a new overall speed record on the Appalachian Trail. In September 2024, Dower hiked and ran from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia in just 40 days, 18 hours and 5 minutes, 13.5 hours faster than Karel Sabbe’s 2018 record.
In March, she handed in another stunning time at the Black Canyon 100k, but June brought disappointment for the runner, who attempted her first Western States 100 but dropped out before the finish. Yesterday, her Instagram account revealed that she's back on top form, writing "She's done it!" with a photo of her embracing the trail sign at the southern terminus.
Running very long trails mostly by herself seems to be the perfect formula for the North Carolina native. She set off from the Canadian border on Saturday, August 16 at 10am and ran trail that follows the Green Mountain ridgeline all the way through the state to the Massachusetts border. Her time of three days, 18 hours and 29 minutes has to be confirmed, but once that happens, she'll hold the overall supported FKT, beating Will "Sisyphus" Peterson's time by nearly three hours.
The Altra-sponsored runner has previously worn the Altra Mont Blanc BOAs for long-distance races and pictures from the finish show she's still favoring the Utah-based brand's zero-drop approach to footwear.
Dower has set several FKTs including one on the 567-mile Colorado Trail in 2023 which she completed in eight days. She is known for using her running feats as fundraisers and publicly stated she intended to raise $10,001 for the Green Mountain Club; a fundraising page shows her effort has far surpassed that goal.
The Long Trail is oldest continuous footpath in the US, with 68,000 feet of elevation gain. Constructed between 1910 and 1930, it later became the inspiration for the Appalachian Trail and the two footpaths share 100 miles of trail.
