For two years, James Ebert has won the Southern States 200-mile endurance run on the Pinhoti Trail, an event that starts in northwest Georgia and runs south to its finish line. Friday morning, Ebert will hit the Pinhoti heading north with a new goal in mind: setting the fastest known time for its 326-mile length.
Ebert, of Huntsville, won the Southern States 200 in mid-March in two days, 4 hours, 44 minutes. Adding another 125ish miles is going to be a challenge but he believes he’s ready.
“I’ve been planning it for about a year,” he told TVO. “I was originally going to do it in March, but the change of dates for Southern States made me push it to April. With any luck I’ll be doing all 350 miles. It’s supported and I have a bunch of friends and family who will be coming out to be a part of it.”
This week, Ebert has checked and re-checked his gear several times. Brooks Cascadias and clothes, Rabbit clothes, Salomon vest … socks, electrolyes, anti-inflammatories, a bag of foot care products. All of it is important. He also has a tracking unit and link for anyone interested to follow his progress. Ebert borrowed the tracker from a friend, Danny Reilly, which is how it’s tagged on the tracking map.
Pinhoti FKTs
A fastest known time, or FKT in runner parlance, is just what it sounds like. It’s the fastest known, recorded time on a trail. Most FKTs are for longer, well-known trails such as the Appalachian or Pinhoti or Pacific Coast. Some smaller ones, relatively speaking, get knocked off each year. An FKT may be supported, self-supported or unsupported.
Nine FKT records exist for the Pinhoti Trail including four for supported, four for self-supported and one for unsupported. On this records list, Rob Youngren of Huntsville set the first known supported FKT in May 2010. He completed the trail in 6 days, 8 hours, 48 minutes, and held the record for 10 years.
The Pinhoti officially is 326 miles long and has a cumulative 43,589 elevation gain. It starts on Flagg Mountain near Weogufka, not far from Sylacauga, and ends when it joins the Benton MacKaye Trail on Springer Mountain in Georgia. Springer Mountain is in the Chattahoochee National Forest about 17 miles east of Ellijay and 14 miles northwest of Dahlonega.
The trail’s highest point is Buddy Cove Gap, which has an elevation of 3.164 feet near the Cohutta Wilderness. Its lowest point above sea level is close to Weogufka Creek in Alabama near Weogufka State Forest, at 545 feet.
Ebert said the timeframe between his Southern States win last month and now is short, but he’s ready.
“I’ve got a narrow window with the weather,” he said. “I’m trying not to think too much about it. I think it’ll be all right. I’m starting at 5 a.m. because I’d like to make it through the long road sections and into the woods before midday.”
“It’s a really tight turnaround, but I’m looking forward to it.”
