Ashlie Ithurburn just demolished the Pinhoti Trail record. Like, really crushed it. The Birmingham runner completed the 335-mile route in 5 days, 6 hours, and 39 minutes, nearly 40 minutes faster than the previous overall record. That’s both the women’s and men’s record. On her first attempt. No big deal.
The 37-year-old started her journey on October 16 in northwest Georgia, where the Pinhoti connects with the Benton MacKaye Trail, and finished at Flagg Mountain near Weogufka, Alabama; the southernmost Appalachian peak above 1,000 feet. The trail winds through national forests and wilderness areas, offering some of the most scenic and demanding terrain in the Southeast.
Matt Benefield, Executive Director of the Pinhoti Trail Alliance, called her achievement something “extremely close to impossible,” noting that few athletes ever attempt the Fastest Known Time, and even fewer complete it. But here’s what makes this even wilder: Ithurburn didn’t just beat the women’s record, she set a time faster than any man had achieved before.
Her husband Matt and a dedicated crew kept her going through five brutal days of running over 60 miles daily. The exhaustion and pain were real, but she pushed through because she wanted to prove something bigger. “For me, representing women on these trails means proving that we belong here. Not just doing hard things, but crushing them,” she explained.
The timing carries extra meaning too. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Pinhoti Trail, making her accomplishment a fitting celebration of endurance and the Alabama outdoors.
Ithurburn isn’t just some random ultrarunner either. Originally from California, she’s called Birmingham home for over a decade. She balances crushing trail records with being a wife, a mom to eight-year-old Finn, and working as an exercise interventionist researching therapies for Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. The Pinhoti holds special significance for her, it’s where she first learned to trail run and found the community that changed her life.
She hopes her record inspires others to explore Alabama’s trails and care for these spaces. Whether it’s an afternoon hike with kids, a section hike with friends, or maybe even a thru-hike, she believes nature offers something irreplaceable. Beauty. Healing. Wonder.
Her message is simple: intimidating goals are worth pursuing. Step outside your comfort zone and see what you’re capable of. Because being in nature, fully present, fully alive, is the greatest treasure of all.