Finding Traction

Endurance runner and extreme athlete Nikki Kimball set a seemingly impossible goal for herself to become the fastest person in history to run the Long Trail - a 273-mile stretch which snakes across the rugged terrains of Vermont. Finding Traction follows every step of her remarkable journey.

America's oldest and longest hiking trail, the Long Trail covers the length of ten marathons; a formidable challenge for even the most ardent and accomplished of runners. Kimball has won many of the most daunting marathons in the world, but she considers a record-setting run of the Long Trail to be the achievement with which she can define her life and career.

After two years of grueling physical training, and a lifetime of sharply honed mental preparation, Kimball arrives at the starting line of her journey on the outskirts of the Canadian border. Her ultimate goal is to beat the previous world record of four days, twelve hours and 46 minutes set by marathon runner Jonathan Basham in 2009. She employs a fiercely devoted team consisting of a doctor, massage therapist, nutritionist and assorted support personnel who remain by her side throughout the run.

For Kimball, the journey represents more than just a place in the record books. She views herself as a potential symbol of inspiration for others, particularly as a female athlete. Her run also doubles as a fundraiser for Girls on the Run, an organization which encourages young girls to indulge in regular physical fitness activities. Kimball discovered her place in the world through marathon running, and she hopes that other girls may be afforded the same sense of life purpose by her example.

Finding Traction allows viewers an opportunity to share in Kimball's struggles and triumphs with every step, leap and climb. Along the way, we are witnesses to her joyous occasions of accomplishment, as well as her moments of extreme physical anguish, self-doubt and mental exhaustion.

Will Kimball meet her goal of beating the previous world record? Regardless of the outcome, Finding Traction provides a tremendously inspiring look at the makings of a champion, and the quest to push the limits of human endurance.