Trump Pardons Trail Runner Michelino Sunseri
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The Grand Teton FKT case has reached an unlikely climax.
President Donald Trump just pardoned Michelino Sunseri, the embattled trail runner who was found guilty of misdemeanor for cutting a trail while attempting a Grand Teton FKT in 2024.
The presidential pardon is only the latest shocking installment of an ongoing legal drama for Sunseri.
In September 2024, Sunseri, 33, clocked a new record of 2 hours, 50 minutes, and 50 seconds on the demanding 13.2-mile, 7,000-foot vertical route—beating the standing FKT of roughly 2:52 set by Andy Anderson in 2012—but the mark was disqualified after it was confirmed he cut a closed half-mile switchback. As a result, Anderson’s 2012 effort remains the official fastest known time on the Grand Teton.
Sunseri admitted the shortcut and his speed-run record was voided by the governing body for Fastest Known Times (FKT). In September 2025, a year later, he was found guilty of a misdemeanor for leaving the designated trail.
Sunseri's legal team qualified Trump's decision:
“Michelino is pleased, of course, but nobody expects a pardon,” Michael Poon, Sunseri’s attorney, told Outside. “He shouldn’t have had to go through this ordeal to begin with. It’s not a case that should have ever been brought to trial.”
The Pardon
On Friday, November 7, Trump issued a full pardon to Sunseri. The pardon is seemingly apolitical and puts to rest a year's long nightmare that could have ended in jail time for Michelino.
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Final Thought
Michelino Sunseri’s performance was undeniably remarkable from an athletic perspective. His decision to cut the trail, however, marred the feat, moving the story from the mountains to the courtroom. The presidential pardon must be a weight off Sunseri's back, but dialogue around trail-use, record setting, and National park policiy will surely endure.
All in all, the story is a reminder: push your limits, sure-- but also be aware of where those limits meet the law. Sometimes the difference between a celebrated, record setting run, and a legal disaster is small as just one switchback.
