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A historic sprint up and down one of Wyoming's tallest mountains has resulted in a misdemeanor charge and a potential prison sentence for a top trail runner.
Idaho resident Michelino Sunseri gained notoriety among endurance athletes last year when he beat a 12-year-old record by summitting the Grand Teton and returning to the trailhead in two hours, 50 minutes, and eight seconds.
The sprint near Jackson Hole, Wyoming did draw some criticism after Sunseri's route was revealed by his Strava GPS tracker, showing the 32-year-old cut through a switchback path on his way down the mountain. Such routes are illegal in national parks, where the public is confined to the trails to prevent erosion and other issues.
The North Face-sponsored athlete was soon referred for federal prosecution by the National Park Service (NPS), which accused him of shortcutting federal trails at Grand Teton National Park in violation of federal law. Furthermore, the NPS notified the Fastest Known Time (FKT) organization to vacate his record for cutting across the switchback trail rather than following the zig-zagging path down the mountain.
The misdemeanor charge carries up to a $5,000 fine and/or six months in prison. A sentencing hearing will take place at later date.
Over the last year, Sunseri has engaged in a legal battle that has divided outdoors enthusiasts and endurance athletes, while insisting the shortcut he used was not properly marked as prohibited.
Sunseri collapsed in the parking lot after summiting the Grand Teton and returning in hours
An Idaho resident, Sunseri is sponsored by North Face and also works as a bartender
He appeared to catch a break when President Donald Trump enacted an executive order aimed at fighting 'overcriminalization in federal regulations' while discouraging prosecutors from filing charges in cases that do not rely on criminal intent.
'The purpose of this order is to ease the regulatory burden on everyday Americans and ensure no American is transformed into a criminal for violating a regulation they have no reason to know exists,' read Trump's White House statement.
Emboldened by Trump's order, the NPS tried to withdraw its criminal prosecution referral against Sunseri, only for the Justice Department to proceeded anyway, resulting in a two-day bench trial back in May.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick of Wyoming issued her decision this week, ruling that Sunseri was guilty 'for leaving the Garnet Canyon Trail to use the shortcut of the Old Climber's Trail.'
The Grand Tetons are a major tourist attraction near Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The detour was logged on his GPS watch and uploaded to Strava - a social fitness platform used by runners, cyclists, and hikers - effectively documenting his own violation
Sunseri's attorneys with the Pacific Legal Foundation have argued that he has been selectively prosecuted and have further claimed that hundreds of thousands of hikers have used the same trail he did – an argument that Hambrick rejected.
'In his closing argument, Defendant tried to brush this off as 'poor semantics' on his part, but the Court finds otherwise,' Hambrick wrote in her ruling. 'The Government proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the Defendant knew using the [Old Climber's Trail] was, in fact, cutting a switchback. The pre-run debates and inquiries about using the OCT further show the Defendant's knowledge of the
'OCT as a shortcut even though those debates centered on ethics regarding use of the OCT and not the legality.
'Third, the OCT is different than the designated trail. The testimony at trial showed that the OCT shortcut is much narrower, steeper and not maintained; this is further evidence that the OCT is not a designated trail.'
It's not yet known if Sunseri will appeal the ruling. Daily Mail has reached out to his defense team for comment.
