Battling altitude sickness, dust, and strict permit timelines, Erin Ton shaved over an hour off the fastest known time on Africa’s highest summit. Now with two peaks down, the Colorado woman has five mountains remaining in her Seven Summits quest.
In all, Erin Ton ran 26.38 miles over 14,000 feet of climbing from Mweka Gate on the mountain’s southern slopes in Tanzania (Photo: Courtesy of Christopher Fisher and Santiago Guerrero )
Published September 24, 2026 12:30PM
What to know: Erin Ton, a 29-year-old runner from Colorado, set a new female Fastest Known Time (FKT) up Africa’s 19,341-foot Mount Kilimanjaro, reaching the summit in 5 hours and 47 minutes—beating the prior record by over an hour.
It was a dark morning in the jungle on September 8 at the base of Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain. Wearing her headlamp, a light jacket, and shorts, Erin Ton, 29, began her run up the 19,341-foot summit to the howls of monkeys jumping around in the trees.
Five hours and 47 minutes later, Ton, became the fastest woman to ever summit the peak, surpassing the previous fastest known time (FKT), set by Kristina Scho Madsen, by one hour and five minutes.
In all, Ton ran 26.38 miles over 14,000 feet of climbing from Mweka Gate on the mountain’s southern slopes in Tanzania. Mweka sits at an elevation of 5,380 feet and offers the quickest route to the summit.
Ton told Outside that her FKT run felt dramatically different than a scouting hike she’d done several days prior on the peak.
“The reconnaissance hike up Kilimanjaro was one of the coldest summits I have ever had in the mountains,” Ton said. “It was particularly windy on the ridge that morning, and I was wearing three puffy jackets.”
It’s a testament to the extreme conditions that exist along the Kilimanjaro trail. The stratovolcano features five distinct climates, from tropical rainforest at the base, to an alpine desert midway up, and finally, a subarctic zone of snow and ice at the summit. Reaching the top does not require technical climbing gear but typically takes most people around a week to reach, according to the guide company Kilimanjaro Experience. Kili, as guides commonly call it, is the world’s largest free-standing mountain. It’s not part of a mountain range, and with so many changes in altitude and ecosystems, the weather can be unpredictable
“With 14,000 feet of climbing, Kilimanjaro is a very unique and diverse mountain containing multiple ecosystems,” Ton told Outside. ”The first vertical kilometer runs through the jungle before opening up into a rocky, arid landscape. Then, after passing through Barafu Camp at 15,000 feet, you are on a rocky ridgeline until the summit.”
Quest for the Seven Summits
Ton is on a mission to set speed records on the so-called “seven summits,” the highest mountain peaks on each of the seven traditional continents. In January, she set a speed record on 22,837-foot Aconcagua in the Argentinian Andes
“This was a different climb than, say, Aconcagua, because it was at a much lower elevation, but it had more layers and elements to it,” Ton said. “I would say the alpine terrain was more similar to Colorado than the high alpine peaks in South America or Nepal.
Kilimanjaro now brings Ton two of the seven. Remaining on her list are 16,024-foot Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, 20,310-foot Denali in Alaska, 18,510-foot Mount Elbrus in Russia, 16,050-foot Mount Vinson in Antarctica, and 29,031-foot Mount Everest in Nepal.
From Monkeys Overhead to Ice Underfoot
Ton began her record attempt at Mweka Gate in Kilimanjaro National Park before the sun rose to avoid the tourist crowds. After about six miles of dirt trail, she reached Mweka Camp with a bloody and irritated nose, the result of the dust in the air.
“I probably looked like a madwoman running with blood dripping down my face,” she said.
Ton trekked the two miles to Millennium Camp at 12,500-foot elevation and said she felt strong until she reached Barafu Camp, another six miles away. Barafu sits at an elevation of 15,000 feet, and Ton said it’s here that she began feeling the first symptoms of altitude sickness. Still, she stuck it out.
“Altitude is normally where I excel, and I believe it is where I have my competitive advantage as an athlete,” she said. “This was one of the very few times I can recall feeling poor at altitude. I’ve been reflecting and still don’t have a solid understanding of why I felt that way.
She ran the remaining five miles to Uhuru Peak, the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. Ton and her two accompanying guides spent a little time on the summit before turning around to descend the mountain.
Her roundtrip time also set a new record, putting her up and down the summit in 8 hours and 33 minutes–beating out Fernanda Maciel’s previous record of 10 hours and 6 minutes.
What’s Next
Ton said her greatest rewards in life have come through perseverance, and she hopes her accomplishments help get other people on the trail.
“I hope my story inspires others to step outside their comfort zone and invite challenge in everyday life,” she said. “All too often, we get caught up in chasing the next big material comfort when it is a big world out there with so many people and cultures to experience.
Ton said her next of the seven summits will likely be Alaska’s Denali in Spring 2027, that’s if she can’t first head to Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia or Mount Vinson in Antarctica.
