On Wednesday, ultrarunner Scott Jurek, who set a new speed record in July for thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, agreed in court to pay a $500 fine (about $300 more than a typical public drinking fine) for drinking on top of Mount Katahdin, the trail’s northern terminus, according to the . The agreement was part of a plea bargain. Charges filed by Baxter State Park against Jurek for littering and hiking in an oversized group were dropped.
Jurek bested previous record holder Jennifer Pharr Davis by completing the trail in in 46 days, 8 hours, and 7 minutes. Baxter officials cited Jurek for violating park regulations upon reaching the summit of Katahdin. He was accused of being in a group of more than 12 people, drinking, and littering when he sprayed champagne over the ground.
Jurek was in Colorado when the decision was made, but his attorney, Walter McKee, told Bangor Daily News that Jurek admitted to drinking the champagne but said he did not litter or have control over the media and supporters who joined him on the summit.
McKee called the settlement “bittersweet,” telling the Bangor Daily News, “It was a shame that it ended that way.”