Hannah Otto’s White Rim FKT attempt on Moab’s Triple Crown

Hannah Otto’s pursuit of the White Rim Trail fastest known time wasn’t just a record attempt: it was the culmination of a three-year mission. After laying down the benchmark times on Moab’s famed Whole Enchilada and the rugged 137-km Kokopelli Trail, the 160 km White Rim was the final piece of her self-titled Moab Triple Crown. She wasn’t chasing titles or inventing crowns for herself. She was chasing something harder to define: growth through suffering.

“These have changed me,” she said. “And it’s because they’re really, really hard.”
Fast and unforgiving

Unlike her previous FKTs, the White Rim wasn’t about line choice or pacing. It was about all-out speed. A loop of remote red rock terrain with no shade, limited water, and a punishing climb at mile 85, the White Rim requires an average speed of 24 kmph to be in record territory.

“I actually expected to be behind at the start,” she said. “But after 30 minutes, I was already two minutes ahead. Immediately, I felt the mindset shift. I just wanted the gap to grow.”

Everything learned, everything used

This wasn’t just a test of physical endurance. Otto brought everything she had: mental training, equipment choices, race nutrition and years of data and intuition.

“It took everything I’ve learned across all the FKTs,” she said. “It took someone who was not trying to control everything but was brave enough to know that I could handle anything.”

And handle it she did. Riding through the early pain, managing heat, wind and hydration issues, all while sitting on the redline. She had 17 gels in her pockets and no backup water bottles. She carried everything herself and received no help from her film crew. It was a fully unsupported attempt, but nothing came easy.

A new standard

The women’s White Rim FKT was previously held by Hannah Granberry Wood in 6:51. Otto didn’t just break that time—she crushed it by more than 14 minutes. The unsupported record (6:52) still stands, but Otto’s mark is now the one to beat for supported efforts.

“It hurt so bad at mile 35,” she said. “But I knew what it’s like to just sit on that limit and not go over.”

Not just another ride

“To me, these FKTs are the perfect puzzle,” she said. “And it’s a puzzle I get to do both on and off the bike. We start the puzzle by putting together and creating all these pieces that we think will hopefully fit together perfectly. And then when I’m out there, I start to get to…