The North Face

Aug 20 | Nikki Kimball Completes Vermont’s Historic 273-Mile Long Trail in Record Time

By The North Face

We are very proud to announce that The North Face athlete Nikki Kimball completed Vermont’s iconic Long Trail today in just 5 days, 7 hours and 42 minutes, setting the women’s supported speed record and surpassing the current women’s unsupported speed record by more than two full days. Her time is the top five speed records of all time, both men’s and women’s.

Kimball, a three-time winner of the North American Ultra Runner of the Year Award, three-time Western States winner and 2007 Ultra-Trail Du Mount Blanc winner, reached the end of the 273-mile trail at the Massachusetts border near Williamstown Saturday, after setting off on her journey at the Canadian Border near North Troy, Vermont on August 13. Jennifer Pharr Davis previously set the women’s record of 7 days, 15 hours in 2007.

“For a first attempt, I couldn’t be more please. The overall experience was amazing, and I learned so much about myself, the trail and my crew,” said Kimball. “But the bigger goal for me was to inspire women and girls of all ages, and to show that there’s an equal place for women in professional sports. I hope I did a little bit of that today.” 

As a Vermont native, currently residing in Bozeman, MT, Kimball learned to take her first steps just moments from the Long Trail, which is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States. The historic trail runs through the heart of Vermont’s backwoods and crosses the state’s highest peaks as it winds its way past pristine ponds, alpine bogs, hardwood forests and swift streams. The Long Trail is “steep in some places, muddy in others, and rugged in most,” according to the Green Mountain Club that built the trail in 1910.

Along the way, Kimball raised money for Girls on the Run Vermont, a non-profit organization that teaches girls 8-15 life skills through dynamic, conversation-based lessons and running exercises in preparation for a 5K run.

Kimball’s journey is being filmed by Fours Five Productions and MontanaPBS, which will examine the role of women in professional sports and explore the world of distance running. The documentary – “Long Trail” – will air on PBS in 2013. 

To learn more about the “Long Trail,” visit MontanaPBS.org/LongTrail or www.thelongtrailfilm.com. For more information about Girls on the Run and how to donate, please visit http://www.active.com/donate/thelongtrail or www.girlsontherun.org.

Nikki Looks Great at the Finish after 5 days 7 hours and 42 minutes

About Nikki Kimball

Nikki Kimball is a decorated ultrarunner who’s accumulated numerous first-place finishes in top races, including Western States (2004, 2006, 2007), Ultra-Trail Du Mount Blanc (2007) and the 50-Mile Trail National Championship (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). She’s competed as a member of several U.S. teams, including the 100K, mountain running and snowshoe racing teams. Nikki lives in Bozeman, Montana, and works as an orthopedic physical therapist. She is co-creator of The Running Clinic, a monthly screening of runners and triathletes aimed at preventing injury and advising athletes on proper nutrition, training and footwear.

 

Aug 16 | Nikki Kimball Long Trail Day 2 Update

By The North Face

We received a day two update from one of Nikki's pacers, her cousin David Wolfgang-Kimball:

Crazy night!  Yesterday mostly went well, with some impressive hiccups.  The major challenge (besides the mileage and the 4000 feet, 6.8-mile climb over Camel's Hump) was emotion management.  A series of miscommunications led to Nikki thinking she was way behind, and she wasn't.  Added to some equipment issues, this made for a hard few hours.

Nikki's Looking Good at the Top of the Hump!

We got that sorted out on the way to the Hump, and Nik's shoulders dropped about an inch in relief, and we all went back to the standard lowbrow on-trail gutter talk and joking.  Crew was doing the can-can as we entered Camel's Hump.  Whatever it takes!!

We sent Nikki, her brother Bill, and pacer Dennis up the Hump, which is the largest unbroken climb on the trail.  The rest of us headed to Appalachian Gap (App Gap), where we thought we might see her around 8:30 or 9pm.  9pm rolls around, then 9:30, then 10 - and we are getting worried.  I scout the fire tower to see if it's climbable for a view.  Satellite phones are switched on.  Worried film crew is filming worried running crew.

Plans are made: at 11pm, we are going to push all the emergency buttons, because it's taking too long. Even the sat phones are having trouble locking on.  We have four crew 2 miles down the trail, incommunicado, prepping food and night shots, and no idea where Nikki and company are.  Are they lost?  Injured?  This is extremely technical terrain, and it is dark, cold, windy, and a t-storm is coming in.

At 10:58pm, no joke, Nikki and Dennis emerge.  We take our fingers off the buttons and breathe a sigh of relief.  Nikki is wrecked: wordless, staring only down.  Plans to send her two miles down trail to shelter and food are abandoned, we rinse her off and tuck her into the van for 6 hrs of sleep.

But where is cousin Bill?  Dennis and Nik left him behind a few hours back... so the emergency planning starts again.  We send someone to retrieve the down trail crew, and the film crew starts interviewing me about my emergency plans for finding Bill.  He knows the trail, so that's good, but it is cold and windy and the night is long.  Do we risk losing more people?  Ugh.

Then, miraculously, Bill's father manages to get him on cell phone from a nearby town.  He's fine and about a mile away.  Emergency over.

I am due for a short pacer leg at 5:30am, so I head to lodgings.  Just as we are pulling away, Bill steps out of the woods. Whew!

This AM Nikki was back to normal, and off we went.  Folks, this trail is extreme. slippery roots on rocks, mud, wet mossy rock, very steep, twisty, and minimal visibility even in daylight.  Think Murkwood.

Personal update: got a few hours sleep and a shower.  Dreamt I was kissing a beautiful girl, but had to run off to help Nikki.  Sorry beautiful girl, this is how it works up here.  Shout out to awesome pacers Dennis and Jenny (who slept under a truck during last night's t-storm).

And now I'm about to run again.  The wheels on the bus go round and round...  A tough night, and a tense one, but all's well that ends well.

Thanks all for your support.

~David

 

Aug 15 | Nikki Kimball Long Trail Day 1 Update

By The North Face

Nikki started at the Canadian border Monday at 6:03am, after staying the night with most of the crew at the Journey's End shelter, 1/2 mile from the starting point. Day 1 went very well, with pacers switching out at most road crossings. Nikki continued on into the night, finally stopping to sleep at Smuggler's Notch (near Stowe) at 2:20am in the back of a pickup truck for about 3 hours.

Nikki Runs Jay Peak

At 5:50am she got back on the trail, and ascended Mt Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont... After a particularly arduous stretch, she crossed the Winooski River around 2pm, and began the nearly 4000 foot ascent of Camel's Hump. She is feeling great, but is growing a little concerned about her schedule. At this point, it is not clear where she plans to stop tonight... Tomorrow there will be several new pacers, and more tough terrain, but things will begin to get easier as we approach the southern half of the state. More updates when I can... First day was somewhere around 65 tough miles, so far (33 total hours in) somewhere around 95 miles down.

Niki Grabs a Quick Cheeseburger for Dinner

Wednesday AM update.... just came down from a rough rainy night on top of Appalachian Gap. Nikki got in there at almost 11 and got a good night of sleep after a very very rough section. Got back on the trail at 6am, about 110 miles down.

Aug 13 | Nikki Kimball Attempts to Complete Vermont’s 273-Mile Long Trail in Record Time

By The North Face

Ultrarunner Nikki Kimball kicks off Inspirational journey to complete The Long Trail in four days to raise money for Girls on The Run

We are really excited to announced that ultrarunner Nikki Kimball will attempt to break both male and female speed records by completing Vermont’s iconic Long Trail in just four and a half days.

Kimball, a three-time winner of the North American Ultra Runner of the Year Award, three-time Western States winner and 2007 Ultra-Trail Du Mount Blanc winner, will begin her record attempt today, Monday, Aug. 13 at the Canadian Border near North Troy, Vermont and traverse the ridge of the Green Mountains for 273 miles to the trail end at the Massachusetts border near Williamstown. The current overall record – set by Jonathan Basham on September 11, 2009 – stands at 4 days, 12 hours, and 46 minutes, while the women’s record is currently held at more than 7 days.

As a Vermont native, currently residing in Bozeman, MT, Kimball learned to take her first steps just moments from the Long Trail, which is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States. The historic trail runs through the heart of Vermont’s backwoods and crosses the state’s highest peaks as it winds its way past pristine ponds, alpine bogs, hardwood forests and swift streams. The Long Trail is “steep in some places, muddy in others, and rugged in most,” according to the Green Mountain Club that built the trail in 1910.

Along the way, Kimball will be raising money for Girls on the Run Vermont, a non-profit organization that teaches girls 8-15 life skills through dynamic, conversation-based lessons and running exercises in preparation for a 5K run.

“Since I learned to run in Vermont, and I’m making this attempt in Vermont, I want to be able to support young athletes in my home state,” said Kimball. “This will be a very challenging attempt, but the bigger goal is to inspire women and girls of all ages, and show that there’s an equal place for women in professional sports.”

The record attempt is being filmed by Fours Five Productions and MontanaPBS, which will examine the role of women in professional sports and explore the world of distance running. The documentary – “Long Trail” – will air on PBS in 2013.

To learn more about the “Long Trail,” visit MontanaPBS.org/LongTrail or www.thelongtrailfilm.com. For more information about Girls on the Run and how to donate, please visit http://www.active.com/donate/thelongtrail or www.girlsontherun.org.

Check back with us all week for updates on Nikki's progress.

About Nikki Kimball

Nikki Kimball is a decorated ultrarunner who’s accumulated numerous first-place finishes in top races, including Western States (2004, 2006, 2007), Ultra-Trail Du Mount Blanc (2007) and the 50-Mile Trail National Championship (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). She’s competed as a member of several U.S. teams, including the 100K, mountain running and snowshoe racing teams. Nikki lives in Bozeman, Montana, and works as an orthopedic physical therapist. She is co-creator of The Running Clinic, a monthly screening of runners and triathletes aimed at preventing injury and advising athletes on proper nutrition, training and footwear.