Thru-Hiker Turned Trail Runner Just Designed and Set the FKT on the Great Smoky Mountains Perimeter Loop
This article originally appeared on Trail Runner
Stephen English, 28, lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and works as a certified nurse aide while he prepares for medical school. His schedule often involves night shifts, and through his sleepless hours on-call, he dreams about being out under the stars.
Recently, he stitched together a series of trails and roads, all within Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee, to create a loop--the Great Smoky Mountains Perimeter Loop. It's 250 miles with just over 50,000 feet of elevation gain. It connects the outermost trails and includes a bit of road time, but generally involves exploring some of the most remote areas of the park. The loop, which has been years in the making, is just one of English's latest accomplishments.
RELATED: How To Set a Fastest Known Time
It All Started in Colorado
English, whose trail name is "Chunks," hiked the Colorado Trail (CT) last summer and got hooked. "I flew in with all of my food pre-packed from Nashville," he explains. "By the time I got on the trail, all of it was obliterated. And I was eating every snack with a spoon." But he quickly realized that eating chunks of Oreos and chips by the spoonful wasn't a bad idea. It was kind of fun. "I like [my trail name] because you pretty much can't say it without smiling, which fits my personality."
English bought hiking equipment years ago for a trip that ended up being a bust, but eventually, it got him on the trails. "I bought a backpack, and a bunch of friends and I were going to go out for an overnight, but everyone chickened out," he said. "So I had this backpack with tags on it that was sitting in my closet for probably four years just eating at me." Finally, he met some people in Nashville who were legitimately willing to go do some backpacking trips in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Once he had experienced a few local trips, English started thinking bigger. He was able to take enough time off work last summer to complete the 486-mile trail in 28 days. "Before I set out on the CT, my longest backpacking trip was five days and five nights at 20 miles per day," English said. "But I figured if I can do five, I can do 30. I feel like you kind of get over that hump, and it's rinse and repeat."
And for the most part, it was, to the point that English became nearly bored by the end of the trail. "Walking every day for a month has its stagnant moments," he said. "I got to the point that I wanted to challenge myself." So he picked up the pace. Mostly hiking the ups and running the downs. "I started setting goals, like running a 5K without stopping," he added, "and then it just developed from there."
Why Not Try This Running Thing for Real?
When English returned to Tennessee, he almost immediately registered for a 50K trail running race in the summer of 2022. His first race ever. He picked the Eddy Trail 50K in Annandale, Minnesota, at the suggestion of a friend. "I figured I'm in the best shape of my life from running and hiking at altitude, now is the time to try this out," he said.
As part of his preparation for the race, English went out on a 13-mile training run, which was by far the longest run he had ever completed. "I was just dumbfounded because I had never run that far in my life," he noted. But without a heavy pack and without the altitude of Colorado, it all felt easy.
He wound up running a solid race, finishing 13th overall in 6:01:47. He had such a good time at the race that he kept running. " Trail running became a bigger part of my routine," he said. "I was very proud of the race, and I wanted to keep it up. I did a fair amount of [trail running] in the Nashville area and kept running a big part of my training."
But it was the long trail backpacking trips that kept him dreaming. Since the 50K last August, English has backpacked and fastpacked in Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas, throughout Peru, and the John Muir Trail (JMT) in California this past summer.
RELATED: David Hedges Sets New Nolan's 14 Fastest Known Time
Making the Map Come to Life
"Coming back from the JMT, it was the same momentum I had after the Colorado Trail. I once again wanted to slingshot that energy and had been secretly drafting up this Great Smoky Mountains Perimeter Loop. I've had the map on my computer for at least a year."
English has spent tons of time in the park and started piecing the loop together a little at a time. "I've always been fascinated by this park," he said. "The trails are like a roadmap. You could connect these trails any way you want for a two-hour hike or a three-day hike. I wish I could give a number to how many different trails in the loop, but there are just so many of them out there."
Once English set the route, English needed to experience it. And what better way than to try to do it as fast as possible--to set a bar for the FKT. This September, English completed the loop in 6 days, 17 hours, and 37 minutes, averaging about 37 miles per day.
"Every day, I was doing the most miles I had ever done, so it was certainly a challenge," he said. "If you want to do this as a more chill backpacking trip, there are so many other side trails and campsites to check out to drag the trip out and enjoy it a little more."
But it was the adventure that English was seeking, and he had several memorable moments. "I saw 16 bears total and a lot of coyotes," he reported. "I saw a few too many eyes glowing in my headlamp during the dark hours." He tried to get four and a half hours of sleep each night and sometimes would have to take a short nap in the afternoon.
RELATED: Simi Hamilton Smashes Colorado's Daunting Elks Traverse Record
One of English's lows came at the highest point of the trail. "I camped on top of Mount Sterling, which is at around 5,700 feet. I climbed for three and a half hours, in the dark, in the pouring rain. One of the biggest climbs of the trip," he said. "I was just tiptoe climbing up because it was so steep. As I was gaining elevation, the rain turned to sleet.
"I finally got to the top, and it was just one of those things. But even in those moments, I tend to adapt to the discomfort and the fear. Being uncomfortable is temporary. Like, I'm not here by accident, so I have a bit of a 'suck it up, buttercup' attitude. I remind myself that getting to experience these limits is a privilege."While the loop does take hikers through some of the most remote parts of the park, it also goes through Gatlinburg and other more populated areas to resupply and shake out the wilderness willies. English went unsupported on his effort, meaning he carried everything with him that he would need from start to finish. But there are certainly other ways to do this loop.
Because the trails are within the national park, proper camping reservations and a plotted itinerary are required. This makes it a little tougher to "wing it," but planning ahead is well worth the effort, according to English.
RELATED: John Kelly Sets the Fastest Known Time on Vermont's Long Trail
Online Community
English started documenting his adventures via TikTok as a way to share the things he sees with others and as a way to be less lonely. Sometimes even talking to a phone and knowing others will enjoy it is enough to feel connected. Since completing the CT, many of his followers have reached out to see if they can support him in any way. So English decided to start an Amazon wish list. Now, whenever he's preparing for a trip, TikTok followers send him some of his favorite snacks--namely dried mango, sour candy, instant breakfast shake mixes, and protein bars.
English has also found other hikers and trail runners through TikTok. "I think I have the algorithm perfectly catered to me. I must see every single TikTok from the Colorado Trail now." Proof that social media can be used for good.
RELATED: Slowest Known Times -- Are Good For The Soul
Onto the Next Adventure
English is currently on his way to his last adventure of the year--the Ouachita National Recreation Trail. This is a 223-mile long, continuous hiking trail through the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas. He will mostly just be backpacking and enjoying the scenery, but there's always at least a little running and pushing the pace involved for him.
As soon as he gets home from Ouachita, he wants to train for another trail race. "I want to train for another 50K because I think the one I did right after the Colorado Trail almost seems imaginary," he said. "Sometimes I forget that I did it because it all happened so fast. Part of me wants to prove that it wasn't just a fluke."
For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today.
