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DAVID HORTON ATTEMPTS PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
RECORD
63-day attempt starts June 4th
May 25th
In preparation for his Pacific Crest Trail adventure, David Horton
wrote, “This is an adventure that will test my body, soul,
and spirit. I am determined to achieve my goal. And I invite you
to take part in whatever way you can and be part of my dream and
help me turn it into reality. For Horton, having others join the
effort will inspire him to the Canadian border. It means sending
him postcards and cookies, running with him, finding places to rest,
and filling his belly with food. “I love ice cream!”
he says.
Horton knows that his PCT adventure will be all consuming, but his
enthusiasm for involving supporters is boundless.
“This will build and build and build,” he said, recalling
how by the end of his Trans-America run from Los Angeles, California
to New York City, he was receiving tray loads of letters that helped
fuel his fire. “This is not something I can do alone,”
he says.
Running the Pacific Crest Trail will be the longest of Horton’s
notable career of lengthy trail runs. That’s one reason he
wants to do it, but he has plenty of other goals, too. It’s
been ten years since his last mega-adventure, so that was an itch
that definitely needed a good scratch. When he’s done, too,
he
envisions the letter H -- for Horton -- scribed across the vast
land, outlining his history as the only guy who will have run the
Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and across the country,
too. He also wants to see the spectacular PCT, but, he admits, “I
don’t want to just see it, I want to do it faster than
anyone has ever done it. That’s ego, I guess.” But mostly,
he looks forward to the simple, uncomplicated life of running, eating
and sleeping for a couple of months. “As every runner can
tell you,” he says, “the reward is in doing long runs.”
NEXT REPORT: Horton starts the PCT near Camp, California
on June 4th.
Fast Facts – David Horton
Age: 55
Home: Lynchburg, Virginia
Profession: Professor, Liberty University
Has run: 95,000 miles at the end of 2004
Has won: over 40 ultramarathons
Has AT’d: sped the Appalachian Trail in 1991, averaging 40
miles/day over 2,160 miles. (His record broken
in ’99).
Has TA’d: Ran the 2,906-mile Trans-America footrace in 1995,
averaging 45 miles/day and placing 3rd.
Has LT’d: Set the Long Trail record in 1999, running 271-
miles in 4 days, 22 hours. (New records set in 2000 and 2004).
Wrote: A Quest for Adventure about his Appalachian Trail effort
Profiled: May 2005, Trail Runner magazine
PCT – Fast Facts
Length: 2,650 miles (4,265 km)
Length as the crow flies: 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
Traverses: California, Oregon and Washington
Record holder: Ray Greenlaw, 83 days, self-supported, set in 2003
Elevation gain/loss: 300,000’ including up 60 major mountain
passes and down 19 major canyons
Links:
www.extremeultrarunning.com/ David
Hortons site
www.montrail.com/ Updates
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