Kaila White

The Republic | azcentral.com

Ever wondered how you measure up to the fastest person on your favorite hike? Be careful what you wish for.

Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock recently scaled the notoriously difficult Camelback Mountain in just over 27 minutes, and even he's left in the dust.

The Strava app uses GPS tracking to measure the exact start and end time for runners and cyclistson popular stretches of road or trail around the world called "segments" (yes, even on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania!).

People use the running option to track hiking, although some savages really are sprinting up those hiking trails, as evidenced by their stunning times.

The app is very popular with competitive athletes and should be a good representation of the fastest times on the trails. Read on for some of the records on Strava's most popular Arizona segments.

No. 1: Echo Canyon Trail in Phoenix

The most popular running "segment" on Strava in all of Arizona is Echo Canyon trail on Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, where Strava has tracked more than 8,400 attempts by more than 2,100 people.

Echo Canyon is a 1.3-mile trail to the top of the mountain which the City of Phoenix has deemed double-black-diamond difficulty, calling it an "extremely strenuous and difficult" trail that should take a fit hiker 45 minutes to climb.

The fastest times on Echo Canyon Trail are: 15 minutes and 58 seconds, set by Jim Walmsley of Flagstaff, and 19 minutes and 51 seconds, set by Melissa "Mel" Branta of Scottsdale. They're both ultrarunners – see more on that below.

MORE ABOUT ECHO CANYON:Residents urge Phoenix to address hiking on deadly Echo Canyon Trail | Hike of the Week: New Echo Canyon trailhead | Parking-rule crackdown at Echo Canyon Trail lot

No. 2: South Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park

The second most popular trail in the state is much more difficult: A 6.3-mile descent from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon near Yaki Point to the Colorado River. The trail is so difficult – it's very steep and offers no water – that officials do not recommend people hike back up it.

The fastest times down South Kaibab Trail are: 37 minutes and 6 seconds, set by Martin Gaffuri of France, and 50 minutes and 31 seconds, set by professional runner and coach Alicia Vargo of Flagstaff, who posted the photo of the trail below.

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No. 3: Elden Lookout Trail in Flagstaff

The third most popular segment is part of Elden Lookout Trail, starting at a junction with another trail and ending at a lookout tower at the top of Mount Elden.

The fastest times on the Elden Lookout Trail segment are: 23 minutes and 30 seconds, also set by Walmsley, and 32 minutes and 24 seconds, also set by Vargo. See? Total beasts.

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No. 4: Tumamoc Hill in Tucson

Tucson is home to the fourth most popular segment, the 1.5-mile steep road to the top of Tumamoc Hill.

The fastest times on Tumamoc Hill are: 10 minutes and 49 seconds, set by Ben Hoffman, a triathlete from Colorado, and 13 minutes and 42 seconds, set by Danielle Higgins of Tucson.

Notable: Pinnacle Peak in Scottsdale

Though not among the most popular segments on Strava, Pinnacle Peak Park trail is beloved to many Arizonans.

The park has a moderate, out-and-back trail through the Sonoran Desert that's 3.5 miles total. Strava measures both just the inbound trail and the full loop.

The fastest times on Pinnacle Peak Park trail are: 14 minutes and 56 seconds one way, set by Jeff Westcott of Cave Creek, and 16 minutes and 44 seconds, set by Katie White of Nebraska. As for the full loop, White also hold's the women's record at 34 minutes and 24 seconds.

MORE ABOUT SCOTTSDALE HIKING TRAILS: The 9 best Scottsdale-area trails | Time to go take a hike in Scottsdale area | Hike of the Week: Balanced Rock in Scottsdale

Notable: Piestewa Peak in Phoenix

Piestewa Peak's Summit Trail is also a popular hike for Phoenicians. The trail is 1.2 miles to the top the mountain, and rated double-black-diamond difficulty by the City of Phoenix.

The fastest times from base to peak on Summit Trail are: 13 minutes and 45 seconds, also set by Walmsley, and 18 minutes and 13 seconds, set by Phuong Abramowski of Mesa.

As for those running back down the trail, the fast times are 9 minutes and 12 seconds, also set by Abramowski, and 7 minutes and 25 seconds, set by a man who goes by "DMETZ :)" on Strava. You're close to 21 minutes round trip, too, right?

The Beast Mode award goes to...

Walmsley and Branta hold the men's and women's records for both trails on Camelback Mountain. In fact, Walmsley set the Cholla Trail record on the same day he set the Echo Canyon one, Aug. 14, 2015.

Walmsley finished the Cholla Trail in 17 minutes and 38 seconds, while Branta made the best women's time at 24 minutes and 7 seconds.

They also both hold the records for Tom's Thumb Trailon the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, a 2.2-mile segment which he scaled in 18 minutes and 40 seconds, and she finished in 30 minutes and 16 seconds.

Follow the ultrarunners

Walmsley, Branta and Vargo all are competitive ultrarunners, or people who run distances longer than the standard 26.2-mile marathon.

Walmsley is famous in the field – Runners World called 2016 his breakout year after he completed his first 100-mile race and set a record for running from one rim of the Grand Canyon to the other and back. He ran the 42 miles in 5 hours, 55 minutes and 20 seconds in October.

Branta set the Echo Canyon Trail record when she was 37 years old and said she previously had an even faster time – 18 minutes and 11 seconds – before she used Strava. She says she once climbed the trail 12 times in a row, and it took her 11 hours.

"Camelback Mountain was my original stomping grounds and I’ll forever, until I die, give complete tribute and credit to that Echo Canyon Trail. There’s a reason it’s popular," said Branta, 41, who is a personal trainer at the Village Health Clubs & Spas in Scottsdale and says she has run more than 20 ultramarathons in the last four years.

"It’s so much mental ... getting that euphoric feeling and afterwards you’re lingering in it," she said. "I think the key is putting yourself into more goal-setting scenarios, where 'I’m gonna do this race this month or try to do two Echoes today instead of one.' Always upping the stakes."

Want to explore record times on other trails? Download the Strava app or visit strava.com.

MORE HIKING TIPS:Don't get too friendly if you meet a burro on this hike | Safety tips for hiking in Arizona | Preparing for Echo Canyon Trail

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