Former Boston College Runner Completes Appalachian Trail In Record Time

A former Boston College cross-country runner has traversed the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail in record time after a sleepless, 37-hour sprint to the top of Maine's Mount Katahdin.

Joe McConaughy, known on the trail as "Stringbean," reached the mountain summit Thursday, finishing his trek in 45 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes. He averaged about 48 miles daily.

The 26-year-old tells the Boston Globe that he loves running, hiking, the outdoors, "and pushing myself."

His unofficial time beats the previous best by about 10 hours and McConaughy says he did it without outside help. He says he mailed his food and supplies before starting in Georgia.

The Seattle native used global-positioning data and social media time stamps to back his claim. The Appalachian Trail Conference doesn't keep official records.