Karel Sabbe Destroys Te Araroa FKT, Averaging 60 Miles per Day To Set Jaw-Dropping New Record

Karel Sabbe is fast becoming a household name in the thru-hiking community. He holds supported speed records on both the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, and in 2023 became one of the few people to complete the notorious Barkley Marathons.

Now, he’s added another legendary feat to his resume — obliterating the fastest known time (FKT) on New Zealand’s 3,000-kilometer (1,864-mile) Te Araroa. Sabbe finished in 31 days, 19 hours, and 41 minutes, shattering the previous record by more than 17 days.

A History of the Te Araroa Fastest Known Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Karel Sabbe (@karelsabbe)

The trail stretches from Cape Reinga in the far north to Bluff at the southern tip of the country, winding through rainforests, volcanic plateaus, raging rivers, and remote mountain ranges. Runners must navigate everything from deep river crossings to grueling road sections, all while managing sleep deprivation, injuries, and unpredictable weather.

Before Sabbe’s attempt, the record belonged to New Zealander George Henderson, who finished in 49 days, 14 hours, and 27 minutes back in 2020. Sabbe didn’t just beat that time: he obliterated it.

His approach combined meticulous planning, high-mileage days, and a near-superhuman ability to function on minimal rest — strategies that had already propelled him to FKTs on the Appalachian Trail (41 days, 7 hours) and the Pacific Crest Trail (46 days, 12 hours). But even for an athlete of his caliber, Te Araroa proved to be an entirely different beast.

Wild Dogs, Storms, and the Fight to the Finish

Sabbe’s attempt was far from smooth. Early in the North Island, he and his crew had a run-in with a pack of wild dogs. While Sabbe was unharmed, one of his pacers, Kobe Blondeel, suffered a bite and a broken elbow. This was just one of many unexpected challenges on an already grueling journey.

Relentless rain battered him in the Tararua Range, turning already difficult trails into a slippery, ankle-deep slog. High winds on Ninety Mile Beach made the early days a brutal grind. On the South Island, deep river crossings and scorching sun pushed him to his limits. Yet, day after day, he and his crew kept moving —averaging an unfathomable 60 miles per day with no rest days.

“Karel is tired,” wrote Sabbe’s crew in an Instagram post published on February 15th, describing innumerable river crossings and mountain passes, waking up at 4 a.m. or earlier every day, and “unrunnable” paths. “One thing is for sure: the TA is not an easy path. Luckily, Karel doesn’t do ‘easy’ – and neither do we.” Sabbe and his crew had less than 200 kilometers to go when they posted that. They finished the trail two days later.

A New Fastest Known Time

By the time Sabbe reached Bluff, just one month after leaving Cape Reinga, he had rewritten the history of Te Araroa speed records. “For sure, it was the most diverse trail I ever ran, from volcanoes to rainforest, Alps to kayaking rivers,” Sabbe wrote of the achievement on Instagram shortly after finishing. “One moment you could gently cruise on runnable trails, only to suddenly have a ‘rough tramping’ section on which you take hours for just a couple of km.”

With this achievement, Sabbe has once again proven why he’s one of the most dominant figures in ultrarunning. Yet he credits much of his success to a robust support system. “Running 96km per day would never have been possible without @karelsabbe_crew. You guys helped me to only have to think about running. Henri, Kobe, Marie, Anna & Emma you are the best.

“And so many thanks to the New Zealanders and your amazing support, hospitality and kindness – you took our trail experience to an entirely different level.”

Featured image: @karelsabbe