On July 1 at 12:01 a.m., Kyle Curtin arrived in his hometown of Durango, Colo., with a new fastest known time (FKT) for the Colorado Trail (CT) under his belt. He had just completed the east-to-west, Collegiate West route in 6 days, 15 hours, and 8 minutes — it’s the fastest time ever set on any route on the CT.
Curtin wasn’t just out to set a record with this objective, either. He was out to drum up support for a cause he cares about.
“Part of why I’m running the CT is to raise money for Big City Mountaineers — an organization that helps to spur love of the outdoors in kids who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity,” he wrote in an Instagram post from June 21.
Curtin departed from Denver on June 24 at 8:14 a.m. The endurance athlete and U.S. Army veteran set a pace of 69 miles per day, smashing the previous fastest record for that route by well over 2 days. He is the first person to complete any CT route in under a week.
Along the way, he ran with partners, pacers, and other endurance athletes like Tara Dower, who previously held the women’s supported FKT for the CT in 2023. When he arrived at the terminus of the CT in Durango, it was dark out, and he was met by a group of cheering friends and supporters wearing glow sticks and headlamps, ringing cowbells and honking horns as Curtin splashed through puddles to the finish line.
“What a welcome home!” he wrote in the post announcing his successful finish.
Editor’s note: This accomplishment is still listed as “Complete – New FKT pending verification“ on Fastestknowntime.com. Once verification is complete, we will update this article with any changes or additional details.
Kyle Curtin: The Fastest Person on the Colorado Trail — Ever
Curtin has been on an endurance bender over the last year. According to his profile on UltraSignUp, he took first at the Tushars Mountain Runs 70K in July 2023, took second in the High Five 100 in August 2023, took first at the Zion Ultramarathon in April 2024, and second at the Hellbender 100 in May. He has sponsorships with Altra Running, Tailwind Nutrition, and Superganix.
But embarking on an FKT attempt of this nature on the CT is an entirely different challenge than running an endurance race — something Curtin caught on to quickly.
“Training for the FKT effort is something I’m good at, I like doing, and know how to do well,” he wrote. “But the logistics are a whole different beast. It makes me think of the General Bradly quote ‘Amateurs talk about strategy, professionals talk about logistics.’ Multiple cars, people and gear, all on different and variable timelines and along a 500 mile path. Oh, and a couple of fires that add in trail closures and re-routes.”
The effort was enormous, but Curtin had a lot of support from friends, family, and others behind the cause he was out to raise money for. Big City Mountaineers is a nonprofit that has been around since 1989. It provides nature experiences for kids who might otherwise never have an opportunity to access the outdoors.
Raising Money With an FKT: Big City Mountaineers
On the fundraising page for his FKT attempt, Curtin explains how he became obsessed with running trails like the CT and spending time outside.
“In 2015, I was at the end of a six-year enlistment in the US Army, and more than anything I wanted a total lifestyle change. The bureaucracy and all-encompassing nature of the soldier’s life had worn me down,” Curtin wrote. “So when I heard my dad was going to hike the Appalachian Trail, I wanted in on this adventure!”
Through his time on the AT, he not only discovered that he had a knack for endurance trail hiking and running but also that time in nature was indispensably valuable to him.
“Funding for Big City Mountaineers will help provide a similar opportunity for youth who don’t normally have access,” Curtin wrote.
As of this writing, his CT FKT campaign is $3,568 short of his goal of raising $10,000. You can still donate on his campaign page, and no cut-off date is listed.
For updates on other FKTs in progress, check the Tracking Page on Fastestknowntime.com.
