RACING ARIZONA: The Arizona Trail Fastest Known Time Documentary

The Arizona Trail is one of the most scenic and challenging routes in the U.S. At 800 miles-long and with over 100,000 feet of elevation gain, it takes most thru-hikers 6-8 weeks to complete. Last Spring, Joe McConaughy tried to hike it in just 12 days. With the help of a support crew made up of family and friends, Joe faces the physical and emotional peaks and valleys on one of the United States' premiere long trails.
Watch Joe's other FKT Documentaries:
AT: • Appalachian Trail FKT ...
Long Trail: • Long Trail FKT Documen...
AZT Vlog: • AZTFKT

[@mathsmagician6949]

The self supported time is crazy, can't even imagine the pain that the dude went through.

[@pilotfield]

It's really impressive. Thanks for watching!

[@hugmynutus]

It is on youtube, the guy filmed it with a GoPro, it is crazy.

[@larsthorwald3338]

The really impressive thing is that he's chasing records in a sport that no one knows about and one that will likely remain obscure into the future. So, apart from the adulation of friends, family, and a small community of eccentrics, there's basically no payoff.

[@levisimon512]

Super true

[@Onewholovesrock]

Of course. There’s a lot easier ways to gain adulation from others. These folks aren’t doing this for adulation from others.

[@EricHealeyPhoto]

This popped up after watching some Barkley Marathon docs, and it did not disappoint. I couldn’t help but tear up and feel bad for Joe when he said “I’m done,” before heading out the next morning through the 4ft snow. Such a great achievement to say the least. Congrats to you and the crew.

[@pilotfield]

Thank you, Eric! I'm stoked that you checked out both. And yea that was a gnarly night. We were all relieved the next morning when he decided to get back out there

[@clintosborne]

Same! I’m new to this variety of savagery and I love it.

[@randallprince]

also here from Barkley...

[@drismusic]

"All that was left... was the Grand Canyon." I laughed out loud. Amazing effort by Stringbean + crew, and beautiful film to boot.

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching, Dris!

[@richardhodgson3474]

What a pointless enterprise!

[@foxfoster1]

Hah I actually scrolled upon this comment right as he said that

[@triathlontimmy]

"The Final Boss" haha, I laughted too

[@edhespin4104]

The canyon kicked my butt when I was a teenager.

[@jackmurphy4958]

Joe & Witt & Katie are the baddest baddies to ever run a trail!

[@joemcconaughy6745]

And Crash!! And you have the baddest sax music to ever grace a desert trails!

[@csn583]

Having and maintaining that sense of humor is so critical and so impressive. I can usually stay upbeat through anything but on my hardest adventures I've seen my mind turn dark. Needless to say they were nothing like this incredible feat! I'm sure the crew was critical to that, but he's individually got something solid way down deep.

[@pilotfield]

It's always amazing to witness. Thanks for taking the time to watch, CSN!

[@n229dh6]

Digging deep like that is harder than 99% of the population can imagine. Great job Joe. Your also lucky to have so much support.

[@donphelps6287]

And to think Joe led trips for Skurka Adventures just a couple of weeks later where I was privileged to explore the Grand Staircase with Joe, Christy and our great crew! Stud! I’d be stoked to finish in 6 weeks! The video is not only a testament to Joe’s grit, but to the power of community and the love of friends and family. To say “well done” is an understatement!

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching, Don! The guy doesn't stop

[@joemcconaughy6745]

10 days later 😄

[@lbanderson40]

What an intense runner, wife, entire crew. Did he just use every inch of his heart, soul , physical and PRIDE.!!!! U go dude!

[@adventuresofbink]

What a beautiful story! I remember following along when it was happening, hoping he’d give it that last push. I’m amazed by his drive, dedication and silliness. I think the support, rapport and relationship with Witt is great to watch; Katie’s support is a selfless example of how partners can be there for one another.

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching, Bink! Katie and Witt are the best

[@jamessherrell904]

Yall are insane. Very impressed. That is some intense dedication, Joe. Great job buddy.

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, James!

[@WesTucker]

This is bad ass. Joe and the crew you deserve to feel so proud. thank you for sharing this amazing journey

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment, Wes!

[@marykelley5182]

So impressive!!!! What a crew!!! Loved this!! ❤❤🎉🎉🎉

[@megbednarcik8634]

Joe is superhuman and Pilot Field makes my favorite documentaries - what a duo! Can’t wait to see what’s next 👀🙌🏻

[@pilotfield]

But what did Moose think?

[@joemcconaughy6745]

Meg!!!!

[@miketurner4610]

Incredible, I was on the edge of tears all the way. Huge Congrats Joe

[@pilotfield]

Appreciate you watching, Mike!

[@cincinnattydaddy4105]

Tears here, hate seeing people suffer but seeing them succeed through what seems like impossible circumstances is very uplifting.

[@leewellstead2305]

This is a absolutely awesome FKT. Truly inspiring

[@mikes7654]

Incredible video 😃👍🏃‍♂️. Congratulations Joe and crew.

[@rebeccamurphy2110]

The power of having friends and family in your corner. ❤

[@lancesmith1970]

Pilot Field-Your commitment to your craft and your friend is special. It’s a grand adventure, this LIFE we choose to live. I’m so glad you are able to document some great moments that we can all enjoy and learn how to be better humans. Keep at it! I’m sure there will be more stories to share to keep inspiring us!

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching and for such a kind comment, Lance! There will be more to come for sure

[@sasquatchrosefarts]

@@pilotfield tell your friends... In the last few decades, , they invented this thing called the internet. And telephones. And you can call people and check snow reports. I'm confused how this wasn't done. But the film was good.

[@pilotfield]

@@sasquatchrosefarts Thanks for taking the time to watch! We didn't dive too much into it in the doc, and it was definitely a bit of an oversight, but we were checking snow reports all trip and they reported the North Rim as clear. Our big mistake was not calling someone on the ground and double checking as you said. Ironically, friends reached out to us as we got close to tell us there would be snow, but we didn't have cell service when the messages came in and didn't get the messages until Joe was already off trail. Thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@rschreck876]

This was amazing. You’re awesome Joe!

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching, R.S.!

[@justinsavaso3601]

Amazing video, super inspirational

[@achenry89]

Great job joe! Love watching you push with such a good attitude

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching, Alicia!

[@coolhatadventures8111]

From one ultra runner to the next, fantastic job Joe !!!! I love the Arizona Trail

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching, Cool Hat!

[@Fitbrit88]

Joes wife is such an angel- Bless her!

[@aceintheplace8053]

Man what a journey. Well done guys

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching!

[@haggismuncher429]

Outstanding achievements to all of you.

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching!

[@RicosUncle]

Absolutely amazing! Great media coverage and production as well!

[@pilotfield]

Thank you, Rico's Uncle!

[@thetaysonwhittaker]

SO amazing! Great effort and DOC!

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching and for the comment, Tayson!

[@tigersonthetown]

That's incredible! Way to go Joe! 🏃‍♂

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching!

[@The_MidwestMisfit]

Wow!!! Total Ballers ! Epic Film and FKT! Joe Yeeah!!!!

[@pilotfield]

Thank you!!

[@gmemo4449]

Well done Joe and what an accomplishment and kudos to your crew for their support and strength in getting you through it. Very inspiring!

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching, Guil!

[@Frogseathorses]

I’m an endurance hiker and connoisseur of documentaries, and this is amazing! Well done to all of those involved .

[@anandaghimiire7516]

Bravo...superhuman and a great crew

[@shawnbrennan7526]

Great effort - physically and mentally.

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching, Shawn!

[@sunburnsam]

Amazing effort!!! Congrats on the record. Kudus to the crew!

[@pilotfield]

Thanks Sam! Great name - Joe can relate

[@andrewkastner5104]

Love this film - the commitment to the story, the commitment to the craft, commitment to the mission, and the gratitude shared to the team. Amazing and inspiring!

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching and for such a kind comment, Andrew!

[@kimalexander4187]

I have watched two times and really enjoy all the work put into this presentation and the FKT, wow tks so much

[@pilotfield]

Thank you (2x), Kim! I'm super stoked to hear that. Glad to hear it holds up!

[@tinopreller797]

wow what a journey, what a team, crazy all of you. appreciate see that

[@joshuapatrick682]

Awesome job BTW! Infectious optimism is sorely lacking in our increasingly cynical world. Its a Gift that you should treasure dearly and carry with you all the rest of your days.

[@FINcLoAk]

Yiihaa! Beautiful stuff! So happy for all of you guys! Well done! Much love

[@pilotfield]

Thanks, Kaj!

[@nmcgourty22]

Unlucky with the snow but an incredible effort from you and your team. You must walk at a pace I can’t even run and run at a pace I can only imagine.

[@VascoDanielNunes-hq8iw]

Congrats from Sintra Lisboa Portugal to all of You ❤ this is the why we love NATURE😊

[@frankly.benjamin]

Amazing work, Joe! And awesome storytelling Pilot Field! That shot of descending into the Grand Canyon at 25:15 as Jack's rhythm guitar kicks in was absolutely phenomenal.

[@pilotfield]

Thanks Ben!! Wish you could have made it out for a few days like you did on the PCT

[@jackmurphy4958]

Thank you, Ben! At that moment, it's my boy Andrew Kothen on the guitar. He created the soundtrack with me and came up with that perfect piece!

[@markcummings6856]

Just incredible, inspirational. Congratulations to all. Epic Feat by Joe! Stellar teamwork, cohesion, camaraderie. Beautiful documentary and film.

[@pilotfield]

Thank you so much, Mark!

[@northofsociety]

Congrats Joe. You are a Beast. Keep up the good work.

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching, Mario!

[@MomWentBackpacking]

Loved this documentary with the BTS footage. Watched your vids as he was completing this, and this documentary shows just how much planning, commitment, and tenacity a FKT is comprised of. Excellent footage! And Joe and his crew are top notch!

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for following along then and now! We really appreciate it

[@clayscloset2618]

Watching after hearing him on Billy’s podcast today. Haven’t run anything in five years but listening to Billy and watching this and other videos about the Mammoth Trail Fest think I’m ready to sign up and get back to running.

[@pilotfield]

Hell yea. Thanks for watching, Clay!

[@mountainrescue777]

Keep it up, stoked you guys all have each other!

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching, Bryan!

[@freediveandthrive]

Amazing effort and video, thank you 🙏🏼

[@gewdshietgrizzle]

your crew rock sox. and you too bud! congratulations to all.

[@nebc_yukonyeti]

Amazing job to everyone, incredible what the human mind & body can accomplish. Thank you so much for sharing from the ups to the downs.

[@pilotfield]

Thank you, Mary-Beth!

[@irunovermountains]

Brings back the memories of following the daily vlogs from the FKT. So good. Great work Pilot Field. Joe, dang!! You never really looked that tired. Way to go dude 🤙 That was a great team effort

[@pilotfield]

Thanks Aaron! And thanks for the support during the vlog too! It was super fun getting to hear feedback everyday we were out there

[@deliciouspeanut6572]

That was so fun

[@runultrarun]

Congratulations on this achievement and documentary! You sure produce a lot for us mortals to be entertained by. It's also super amazing to know you, dude! Keep crushin' those miles (post holes and all)!!

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for checking it out, Troy!

[@cincinnattydaddy4105]

I hope one day I can dig as deep as you routinely do, wow. Saying its inspiring is such a cliche, but its definitely thought provoking to see somebody accomplish something like this.

[@adamtyson1257]

Super cool, and well documented, thank you

[@pilotfield]

Thanks so much, really appreciate that Adam!

[@Zethpeterkaphoto]

Legend.

[@TheJumpingJill]

Crushed it!!! Rough days post holing - but you did it

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching, Jill!

[@adrianenglish3441]

Wow. What amazing effort. When all is said and done it's the athletes heart that gets him through. But without the crew to encourage, cajole and nurse that heart along the way these things just could not be done. Congrats to all and a beautiful film.

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching and for leaving such a kind comment, Adrian!

[@joedavis2293]

First off, amazing perseverance and grit....the likes of which very few people posses. Joe is in a league of his own when it comes to that. In planning this FKT, did you guys look into the snow conditions around the North Rim? It seems as if the team was a bit surprised at the amount of snow, and the time it would take to cover the miles in those conditions. To go 700 miles only to be stopped by the snow would've been heartbreaking. Anyway, loved the movie. Thanks for allowing us the opportunity to be part of the journey.

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching and the kind comment, Joe! Stringbean could probably answer better, but we always knew snow might be an issue. As we got closer to the North Rim we were checking snow maps that said the snow around the North Rim had pretty much cleared up. We were able to piece together later why those forecasts weren't accurate, but day of, we were pretty shocked.

[@tomkee8019]

Champion of a man and champion team support

[@themcbobgorge]

Awesome video- great work to everyone involved. Also just shows how crazy josh Perry's unsupported record is

[@pilotfield]

It really is incredible (Josh's record). Thanks for watching!

[@joshuapatrick682]

Also, I’m gonna watch Raising Arizona after this because its an awesome film!

[@lifewithlarsandsusie8315]

Amazing!

[@matthewferri5609]

It's funny to compare these guys and Goggins. Two badasses, two very different mentalities.

[@pilotfield]

Whatever keeps you moving. Thanks for watching, Matthew!

[@leocriscuola]

Super dope! Great effort and filming.

[@pilotfield]

Thanks T&H!

[@trailsofanoldrunner]

Impressive film and journey

[@pilotfield]

Thank you Old Runner!

[@ChristineDuval-cy5ck]

Fabulous!!!!!

[@stephaniecansfield2430]

Incredible 👏

[@Frogseathorses]

Amazing

[@tommccandless9856]

Dills, you and Murphy rock! This is such a powerful depiction of an epic physical challenge for Joe! The viewer is truly gripped by the human struggle but also awestruck at the incredible beauty of the AZT. Joe, you are an incredible inspiration to young and old alike! I don't know how you do this, but it's ungodly impressive and super motivational! Keep up the outstanding work and take care of yourself too! FOS

[@joemcconaughy6745]

Thank you Tom!!!

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching and for such a great comment, Tom! We really appreciate it

[@donnamarshall3784]

Amazing!!

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching, Donna!

[@setnolimitsproductions5109]

Inspiring stuff 👊

[@EnduranceHunter]

Such a incredible journey that even made me tear up at moments! Congratulations to joe and the whole crew for percieving through all that hardship and getting it done, thats way more inspiring than you finishing in sub 12 days!! Shoutout to my boy Witt for being such a incredibly selfless friend, now I just need you to support me on one of the my fkts...

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching and the comment! Shout out to Witt for real

[@wittwisebram4333]

I gotcha buddy

[@jameslopez958]

Peace ✌️ And Love 💕 from Tucson Arizona Desert 🏜️🙏😎

[@ThePopeOfAllDope]

Great stuff here as well

[@bob-fh9pd]

the postholing with the snowshoes on made my stomach turn lol

[@Niko-zd4vn]

Amazing documentary guys !! whats the hoodie that hes wearing at 19:48 ? looks comfy !

[@cheryl_the_horsechick]

wow he looked good at the end. dud you rock. sorry about the snow.

[@MrWarrendoyle]

Bravo! Captured all the gifts people can receive from an FKT, especially when it's successful. Beautiful answer to two questions: So why do we do it? Did you see anything?

[@pilotfield]

Thank you for watching and the comment, Warren!

[@jannismahler2518]

Awesome documentary and much respect! Remember the old record was self supported tho

[@pilotfield]

Thanks for watching and for the comment, Jannis!

[@jameslopez958]

Baddass Brother 😎. Peace ✌️And Love 💕 from Tucson Arizona Desert 🏜️🙏

[@jseales86]

I will never, Never, NEVER, complain about potholing again after what these folks went through. The steal Wit's words, Beautiful Job. Inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

[@brandonnielsen694]

Love his mom saying to somebody that has run thousands of miles on a trail: “don’t trip on a rock” so cute

[@pilotfield]

We're glad someone thought to remind him. Thanks for watching, Brandon!

[@user-se5tf2tc7e]

Это прекрасно!

[@wetqerterterqyer]

Absolute tank

[@pilotfield]

For real. Thanks for watching, Arthur!

[@rachelwierenga4723]

That is wildly impressive. I ran my first trail 50k last year, and that nearly broke me. I can't fathom 800 miles in 13 days!

[@timothycontreras8424]

+snow shoes - post holing = 😊

[@Jppnametaken]

Great job, I'm intimately familiar with the deep snow and bloody ankles, definitely not a pleasant experience.

[@Mt.Everest.]

I really think your team is what made you break the record without them you would not have made it in record breaking time🎉 so a big shout out to them😊

[@fununderthesun3209]

This is badass but how the guy that did it self-supported is on a whole other level. How is it even possible somebody would carry all their own supplies and do it alone and be less than 2 days behind this well oiled support team😲

[@capt_boos]

Beast mode

[@wittwisebram4333]

So thankful to have this document of such an awesome adventure. I do wish there were more cats involved.

[@pilotfield]

The director's cut will be all Cats

[@markfitzsimmons7544]

Is there a Starbucks along the way? NO!? fuhgetaboutit. Fukn awesome run dude! Well done.

[@GuiiSanttoss]

Just "met" Joe in the video about the 2023 Barkley and what a guy, huh??

[@pilotfield]

So stoked that you checked this out after the Barkley doc! Thanks for watching both. And yea, what a guy indeed

[@jeffreycarman2185]

This is a serious feat of trail endurance, no doubt. But the fact that someone did this trail in just two days more time but self-supported is frankly a much more impressive feat. Having to haul all your gear and supplies on a trail is a completely different thing than sleeping in a camper each night and having your meals prepared for you. Either way, (sleeping in a camper each night or self-supported) doing 60-70 miles on the trail every day is beyond comprehension.

[@jimmy-jamesolivier-mccutch2126]

this is beyong insane

[@MerpTacoz]

Could you bring snow snoes next time to prevent post holing?

[@Spaxcore]

Anyone know what brand that purple long sleeve he's wearing with the yellow lettering is?

[@mtpstv94]

260 miles in 13 days is considered to be fast and time that only the fastest hikers are capable of. 800 miles in 13 days? Haven't watched this yet, but... I don't know that is even possible. If it is that is absurd. The question is: how many ankles has this guy sprained?

[@pilotfield]

Hope you check it out, Chris!

[@kwd-2023]

i n s p i r i n g !