Nashvillian John Hardin: Beer Run

Should you be reading these words while it is still July of 2022, odds are that a tall, smart, strong, handsome yet truly humble Nashville man is running the Appalachian Trail. And running and running.

His name is John Hardin, and he has been running since June 20th, attempting to enter the history books for the fastest known time (FKT) of the Appalachian Trail (AT). To do so, John will have to run from Maine to Georgia in under 41 days, 7 hours, and 39 minutes. And, to do that, he must average 53 miles a day (over the course of the AT’s 2,189 miles).

A loving husband, doting dad, and enterprising entrepreneur, John is the founder of HardWin Adventures, Middle Tennessee’s outdoor challenges company. An avid, accomplished trail runner, John currently holds two records, one for the 165-mile Ozark Highlands Trail and another for the 319-mile Sheltowee Trace. No simple feat.

So, what does an athlete like that eat? Well, lots of protein. Two of his favorites are Urban Grub’s pork chops and Arnold’s prime rib. “I’m a big fan of Arnold’s. I like that they serve liver,” John says. “I eat a lot of meat. I try to lower carbohydrates, but certainly don’t turn down Arnold’s fried green tomatoes when they have them. I also like Calypso’s callaloo (mustard greens, tomatoes, and onions).”

But trail runners shall not live by high protein alone. Which is why Hardin partnered up with Jackalope Brewery years ago. The Wedgewood-Houston brewery has been supplying the beer for HardWin classics such as the Music City Trail Ultra for years. Kind of a match made in heaven. “Bearwalker and Thunder Ann are two of my favorites,” John says, referring to Jackalope’s maple brown ale and pale ale respectively.

“But, if I earn the fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail,” John adds with a big grin, “Jackalope has promised to name a new beer after me.” What would that be? “A Belgian pale ale similar to the one the Trappist monks in Chimay make; a light, hazy amber with notes of spicy pepper, coriander and clove.

So run, John, run! Get that record and your next Nashville meal is on us.

To follow John’s progress, and perhaps contribute a bit to the cause – what he’s doing isn’t cheap – visit johnhardin2022fktappalachiantrail to pull up the Facebook page.