Runner faces jail after stepping off track in US national park during record attempt

A record-breaking runner could go to jail after taking a shortcut while setting a record in a national park. Conflict in Grand Teton to be resolved in court, writes SFGate.

Photo: Kenny Tong | Dreamstime.com

A breakfast of a Snickers bar, a can of Red Bull and three ibuprofen helped Michelino Sunseri set a new record in September 2024. He ran 21,24 kilometers up and down the highest peak in Grand Teton National Park, covering an elevation gain of 2150 meters, in just 2 hours, 50 minutes and 50 seconds.

Sunseri, a sponsored athlete for The North Face and a bartender in Driggs, Idaho, has been preparing for the grueling challenge for years, running the same route 43 times to prepare his body and mind. Sunseri began his record run at 7:45, running through meadows, forests, and rocky terrain. He climbed into mountainous areas covered in snow and ice, and ran along narrow, winding trails. He eventually reached the famed 4200-foot peak of the Grand Teton, and then raced down.

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At the finish line, Sunseri was elated. But on the morning of May 20, when he appeared before a non-jury court in Jackson, Wyoming, his attitude toward the achievement changed.

Soon after his record was revealed, the route came under fire. According to Outside magazine, Sunseri strayed about half a mile off the official trail and cut a switchback. In October, park rangers issued him a ticket for violating federal regulations designed to protect natural, cultural, and archaeological resources. Now a judge will decide what consequences Sunseri faces.

Federal regulations prohibit leaving trails or walking paths to take shortcuts. Prosecutors offered Sunseri a misdemeanor plea. He could face up to six months in prison and a $5000 fine. He refused and decided to fight his case in court.

National Park Service lawyers proposed banning Sunseri from Grand Teton for five years this spring, but he refused. He says the park rejected his offer to volunteer on the trail and do soil restoration work instead.

Sunseri's supporters, including his friend Connor Berksmith, who is making a documentary about the race, have launched a petition on Change.org calling on the federal government to drop the case. The petition has more than 2000 signatures and says the lawsuit is a waste of taxpayer money.

Grand Teton National Park spokeswoman Emily Davis referred questions to the Wyoming County Attorney's Office, which had no immediate comment. However, Davis noted that the problem with serpentine cuts is that they can contribute to erosion and destroy vegetation.

"This was a public violation of National Park Service rules by a public figure — an influencer and a sponsored athlete — in an attempt to set a record," she told a Wyoming newspaper in October.

Sunseri has made no secret of his departure from the trail. He mentions it several times in his public post on Strava, calling the topic “sharp.”

“Climbing the last section of the route, I decided to cut the serpentine road,” he wrote, explaining that he wanted to avoid a collision with a group of tourists.

He points out that other record holders have done the same (six out of seven over the last century, he says). The section he walked was a packed dirt trail with a sign at the entrance that said "cuts contribute to erosion" and on the opposite side, "closed for restoration."

"I don't think it's fair that I could be called a federal felon for walking a trail that was blazed in the 1930s," the runner said.

Controversy over Sunseri's route has cast a shadow over his achievement. Andrew Anderson, a climber and ranger with the Rocky Mountain National Park, held the record for 2012 years since 12. Prior to that, the record had been held by renowned distance runner Bryce Thatcher since 1983.

Sunseri says a misdemeanor charge could ruin his entire professional trail running career. Climbing and descending the Grand Teton requires concentration, impeccable fitness and stamina.

"I grunted, screamed, gasped, swore and made all sorts of weird noises to get through this section," he wrote of the difficult part of the climb.

The route is littered with obstacles—ledges, drop-offs, and cliffs. A fall can be fatal. Some climbers and hikers use ropes, harnesses, and sometimes hire guides to help them get to the top. The area is filled with wildlife, slippery rocks, hikers, and climbers, especially on Labor Day weekend, when a narrow window of good weather forces Sunseri to hike the busiest trails of the year to reach the summit before the next snowfall.

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Sunseri's public post on Strava is still titled Grand Teton Fastest Known Time. But the Fastest Known Time (FKT) organization, which records such records, rejected his result after consulting with the park last year.

“Any future attempts to cut the switchbacks will be rejected outright,” the route page now says. The North Face has since deleted a post congratulating Sunseri on achieving an “impossible dream,” though he remains one of its sponsored athletes.

“If I had to make this decision again, I would 100% do the same thing,” Sunseri noted in a 2024 Strava post.

But on the eve of his trial, he admitted that his mind had changed: "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I'm being prosecuted by the federal government for trail running."

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