Episode 675: Erin Ton on Chasing FKTs, Big Mountain Risk, and Learning Through Failure
Today on the podcast, I’m talking with Erin Ton. Erin is a professional mountain runner and endurance athlete who has built a remarkable life around chasing fastest known times all over the world. She has close to 200 FKTs to her name, with efforts that range from all-out sub-hour mountain pushes to 24-plus hour and multi-day adventures.
In this conversation, Erin shares what draws her to this style of running and why she is so inspired by self-supported and unsupported efforts in the mountains. We talk about the beauty and challenge of moving through remote places alone, what it takes to prepare for these routes, and how she approaches safety, fear, and decision-making in extreme environments.
Erin also reflects on a recent trip to South America, where she set the short-course women’s speed record on Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America. She talks about the emotional side of these big efforts too, including what it feels like when an attempt does not go to plan, why some unfinished goals still keep calling her back, and how she has learned to sit with both success and failure.
This episode is a little different from the track, road, and marathon conversations I often have on the show, and that is exactly why I loved it. Erin’s story is full of adventure, perspective, and a deep love for wild places. I think you are going to really enjoy getting to know her.
Topics Discussed:
- What fastest known times are and the difference between supported, self-supported, and unsupported efforts
- Why Erin is drawn to self-supported and unsupported mountain efforts
- Her recent South America trip and setting the short-course women’s speed record on Aconcagua
- The difference between the short and long Aconcagua records
- How she trains for very different kinds of FKTs, from short mountain efforts to 24-plus hour and multi-day routes
- Strength training, nutrition, sleep, and the more structured side of her preparation
- Wilderness safety, gear, and learning to move safely in big mountain environments
- Managing fear and using visualization before committing to dangerous terrain
- Beautiful places she recommends, including the Atacama Desert in Chile and the Khumbu Valley in Nepal
- Living out of a van and what that lifestyle looks like in practice
- Her unfinished pursuit of Nolan’s and what repeated attempts have taught her
- Why she is more drawn to adventure-style mountain efforts than traditional racing
- Growing up in Colorado and how leaving home made her appreciate the mountains more
- The law school path she once imagined and how running became both an outlet and a calling
- The bigger goals she has for the future, including chasing women’s speed records on the Seven Summits
- Her encouragement to get outside, explore, and experience more of the world
Book recommendations:
A Sand County Almanac
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