JACKSON, Wyo. — A year-long saga that began on Labor Day 2024 over local runner Michelino Sunseri’s Grand Teton speed record came to an official close yesterday, when he received a presidential pardon.
What started as a potential fine for $5,000 or six months in jail on misdemeanor charges escalated to the national scale. The original ticket was for violating 36CFR2.1(b) — which prohibits “leaving a trail or walkway to shortcut between portions of the same trail or adjacent trail in the national park.”
In May of this year, the National Park Service attempted to withdraw from the case, citing “overcriminalization,” but the Department of Justice proceeded, eventually putting Sunseri on trial. Sunseri was found guilty on Sep. 2 for cutting a switchback in the park while making his Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempt.
An official record of the pardon has not yet been made public. Connor Burkesmith, a local photographer that accompanied Sunseri on his attempt, described the pardon as “unexpected but warmly received.”
In a Facebook post, Sunseri shared a photo of the official pardon signed by the president and described the yearlong trial as “a massive waste of taxpayer money and government energy from the start” and “something that should’ve easily been resolved back in September 2024 when I offered community service to close the trail for good.”
Sunseri is still not listed as the FKT record holder for the Grand Teton.
