FKT Controversy: Ultrarunner Stunned by Plea Bargain for Cutting Switchback; Trial Set for Spring

In September 2024, Michelino Sunseri cut a signed switchback during an attempt to claim the fastest known time (FKT) for summiting Grand Teton Peak. He made record time, running the 13.2-mile out-and-back route in just 2 hours, 50 minutes, and 50 seconds.

However, when it was revealed to fastestknowntime.com that he’d cut a switchback, his record was revoked. And that was just the beginning of Sunseri’s troubles.

Later, after park rangers reviewed the Strava data and considered the accusations against Sunseri, they filed charges against him. He was officially accused of having ignored National Park signage to take a prohibited shortcut. Cutting a switchback in a national park is a misdemeanor and typically carries a fine of $5,000 or up to 6 months in jail.

A source close to Sunseri told GearJunkie that the prosecutor’s best plea deal offer was a 5-year ban from Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) and a class B misdemeanor guilty plea and fine. According to that source, who agreed to share information on the condition of anonymity, a ban from GTNP could be worse than jail time for Michelino — as a professional trail runner, that park is essential to his livelihood. He and many others in the Teton Valley were shocked by the severity of the prosecutor’s offer, they said.

Sunseri pled not guilty on Dec. 19. His court date has been scheduled for May 20, 2025. GearJunkie contacted Sunseri, who verified this information, though he declined to offer an official comment.

Highly Publicized ‘Shortcut’

While it is often legal to stray from a trail in a national park, it is generally advised against because of environmental damage and safety risks. However, NPS overtly prohibits cutting switchbacks. When park rangers caught wind of Sunseri’s highly publicized shortcut, they acted.

“It was a very public violation of NPS regulations, shared in such a public way by this influencer and sponsored athlete in association with his effort to achieve the fastest known time goal,” public information officer Emily Davis told National Parks Traveler.

The shortcut Sunseri took is an old climber’s trail that NPS claims it has been trying to close for almost 12 years. However, it still shows up on several second-party mapping apps like Strava, FatMap, Gaia, and Caltopo as a legitimate route.

GearJunkie’s source included photos (above) of the signs posted at the switchback Sunseri cut as he made his descent. The sign at the top of the switchback, where Sunseri cut across it, only states, “Short Cutting Causes Erosion.” The sign at the bottom reads, “Closed for Regrowth.”

Michelino Sunseri: Not the First to Cut a Switchback

Sunseri is not the first athlete to be caught cutting switchbacks in GTNP while pursuing an FKT — although he is the only one who has been formally charged. In 2012, Kilian Jornet cut the same switchback during his Grand Teton FKT attempt. The Park Service, however, did not legally pursue him with charges. According to NPS, Jornet returned to Europe before action could be taken.

Instead, NPS issued a warning that any park visitor caught cutting trails would be cited, according to National Parks Traveler.

Jornet was allowed to keep his FKT — though his record remains “flagged” on fastestknowntime.com. Sunseri’s name, by contrast, doesn’t even appear on fastestknowntime.com’s webpage for the Grand Teton route.

We will continue covering this story as it develops.

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