How Tyler Andrews Smashed the Everest Speed Record by an Hour Using Double Thresholds

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EPISODE SUMMARY

Tyler Andrews, a two-time Olympic trials marathon qualifier turned speed mountaineer, joins the LetsRun.com podcast after shattering the record for fastest ascent of Mount Everest, climbing from base camp to summit in 9 hours 55 minutes, over an hour faster than the 22-year-old previous mark. Andrews details the logistical nightmare of speed climbing Everest, from navigating the deadly Khumbu Icefall at night to waiting until the season's final day for a crowd-free mountain.

The conversation covers his unconventional training, double threshold sessions applied to mountaineering, hypoxic training at simulated altitudes above 30,000 feet, and living at elevation in Ecuador and Nepal. After going 0-for-6 across three seasons due to broken gear, bad weather, and crowding, everything finally aligned on attempt seven. Andrews also hints at a return to road racing with eyes on the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials.

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LINKS

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Aletheia Run -Free trial + save 10% with code LETSRUN10
1:20 Start
06:02 Climbing Logistics, Crowds, and Gear
13:03 Training for Everest With Double Thresholds
20:18 Seven Attempts: What Went Wrong
23:34 Proof, Danger, and the Ethics of Speed Climbing
31:08 How Hard Is It to Climb Everest?
34:24 From Marathoner to Mountaineer
39:48 Risk, Ethics, and the 2028 Olympic Trials
43:17 Life as a Full-Time Mountaineer

CONTACT

Email: podcast@letsrun.com
Call or text: 1-844-LETSRUN (1-844-538-7786)

ABOUT THE LETSRUN.COM PODCAST

Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running. The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. Together they move beyond PR headlines to provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.