Most backpackers who set out on the 1,100-mile Florida National Scenery trail usually spend two months on the trail, from the Big Cypress National Reserve in South Florida to the Gulf Islands National Coast of the Panhandle. Deanna Doane, from Florida, completed the same distance within 20 days.
Doane, 27, averages 57 miles per day, achieved the fastest known time (FKT) on the Florida Trail on February 27th.
“My goal has always been to break records. There was an idea to go within 20 days. That was my big goal. I felt like I made that statement,” she said. “I told the trails in Florida, “Yes, this is 1,100 miles long, but I see it as a stage race. I do over 55 miles a day. I sleep every night. I really need a good everyday life and good nutrition, I need to take care of myself.”
Her attempts were supported by good friend Scott Absia through her work at a trail running event for work from Rambum Race. Every day he cooked meals and helped runners in and out of campsites.
In this epic effort training, Doane said he was hooked on the trail nearly a year before he began his speedy trekking. She used the treadmill under her standing desk to walk 20-25 miles a day, run every day, went on a 50-mile trail run over the weekend, scouting hundreds of miles of trails.
“About a year before I did that, I thought, ‘Let this be in the world and let it be accountable to yourself.’ I really love the trails and wanted to experience everything and see what I can do,” Dawn said. “Around six months before I did the trail, I really started to raise the volume. December was my biggest training month. I’m sure I did 400-500 miles that month.”
Every day on the trail started with a 3am alarm, with Dawn returning to the pass by 3:30-3:45am, starting what would normally be 14-16 hours of days. Her attempts have promoted 8,000 calories per day on the vegan diet.
“We were really asserting to take the essential amino acid and protein shaking and make sure her muscles were getting stronger. The workout she put in really helped.” “When I paced her, I was struggling to keep up with her walking pace on a 6-foot-5 stride. It was very fast and consistent with the points where I could predict her pace.”
Doane’s record on the Florida Trail was two days faster than the previous set set by Hunter Raininger during the 2024 hiking season. Last year’s rainy weather conditions resulted in a 80-90 mile re-route using roads that left some of the trail underwater and ended up counting new records. This has sparked a stir within the hiking and ultra-running community, and some have questioned the legitimacy of Renninger’s FKT.
“I followed the entire trail. There’s a lot of love and passion on the Florida Trail. I’m very concerned about it,” Doorne said. “For me, it was following the orange flames from start to finish and staying true to the trail. I might be a purist, but that’s the route and that’s the trail.”
Dawn scored low points on the trail, but she said the miles seemed easier as they went, and her love for the Florida Trail helped her to carry her to the finish line. Her sunny nature and attitude are the traits that Abshar said he would admire.
“Her nickname and trail name is “Sweet D,” and she is Sweet D. She is the sweetest and kindest person. She cares so much about all of her friends and the through hikers she meets along the way,” he said. “I know she was suffering and she was in pain, but she did all this with a smile on her face. That’s so wonderful.”
The Ultra Runner said her training and obsession with this powerful goal was the driving force behind her tired legs and feet throughout her long trekking that spans Florida.
“It really took me a year to be obsessed with the trails in planning and training. You have to be obsessed with it,” she said. “Whether it’s a thousand miles FKT or a 5K race, you need to have a ‘why’ and your mind must be there. If not, what’s the point? ”
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Patrick Connolly / Orlando Sentinel
Trail markers designate spots on the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest. (Personal courtesy of Deanna Doane)
Original issue: April 7, 2025 5am Edit
