First Woman Hikes 10,000 Miles
A hiker known as "Peg Leg" just became the first woman in history to log 10,000 miles on foot in a single calendar year. Her journey spans all three major U.S. long trails — Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide — plus countless connector hikes. The documented feat is inspiring both seasoned trekkers and newcomers to push their own limits.
The hiker, Madison Blagden, known as "Peg Leg," concluded her record-setting year on New Year's Eve, logging a total of 10,070 miles. This achievement required her to average 27.5 miles every single day for the entire year, a figure that accounts for over 30 days she took off for rest, travel, and injury. Blagden's route was an ambitious "Border-to-Border Calendar Year Triple Crown," a feat that involves hiking the three major U.S. long trails from their southern borders to the Canadian border. This extended version of the Triple Crown adds significant mileage, starting from Key West, Florida, to connect to the Appalachian Trail's southern terminus. Her journey was not without significant challenges. Around the 4,000-mile mark, Blagden suffered a hip injury so severe she was unable to walk without trekking poles and had to take 17 consecutive days off the trail to recover. To make up for lost time and get through the Colorado Rockies before winter, she had to average 37 miles per day for a continuous nine-week stretch. This monumental trek establishes a new record for the most miles hiked by a woman in a calendar year, surpassing the previous record of around 8,000 miles set by Heather "Anish" Anderson in 2018. Blagden is one of three hikers to surpass 10,000 miles in 2025, alongside Troy “Punisher” Croxdale and Philip “Slide” Witmer.
