SGPT Interviews Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim finisher Laurence McCullough

Meet Laurence McCullough — father, husband, everyday warrior. He’s 46, out of Atlanta, Georgia, and he doesn’t make excuses. He trains where he lives — in the woods, on the trails, and in his garage gym built for battle.

He’s put in the time, the sweat, and the miles. From wrestling mats in high school to mountain peaks and canyon floors as a grown man, Laurence keeps showing up. Recently, he crushed the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim — over 50 miles, 12,000 feet of climbing, and 19 hours of nonstop effort. No shortcuts. No backdoors. Just grit, gear, and relentless mindset. This is his story.

SGPT: Tell us about yourself? Where are you from and where do you train?

LM: I am 46 yrs old from Atlanta, Georgia. I have been married for 16 years and have 3 boys that I like to adventure with. I run and ruck at my local national park Island Ford 5 min from my house which is part of the Chattahoochee National Park system. I have a gym in my garage with everything I need to stay fit (c2 rower, squat rack with pull up bar, Olympic bar with bumper plates, dumbbells and kettle bells and a bike trainer).

SGPT: Did you have an athletic background growing up?

LM: Yes. I was hyperactive so I enjoyed playing most sports when I was young (tennis, swimming, wrestling, soccer). After high school where I mainly trained year round for wrestling I went to college in Oregon and got to pursue outdoor sports like rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing and mountaineering. I have been strength training since I was 15 and continue that to this day thanks to the SGPT community and working with Coach Brad.

SGPT: Tell us about the hike? Where was it and how was the course?

LM: Grand Canyon Village in Arizona is the start of Rim to Rim to Rim.

Started at 1:15am completed at 10:30pm 17hrs moving 19hrs total time
Made it from South rim to North Rim in 7:30 moving time around 8:30 am
Watch cut out at 38.69mi after 12:57 hrs moving
117k steps, 7800 cal burned, 52mi, 419 floors climbed (12k vert asc and 11k vert desc)
Brought my Goruck Rucker 4.0 pack, not ideal for this endeavor prob weighed 25-30lbs should have gone lighter
- Had 3l bladder with tailwind
- Had 1.5l bladder with water
- Brought bars, trail mix, cliff chews, gels Maurten 100 unreal
extra batteries was key had 3 extra sets used all of them as my teammates batteries died
Applied massive amounts of body glide to feet before event. Brought moleskin and applied at north rim. Brought 2 pairs of socks and feet got wet on way back.
Used mountaineering poles to get up and down the steep inclines
Grateful to have my swim buddy get me home safely
Do not recommend going solo on this mission as its dangerous and diffficut to evac if injured
Took lots of electrolytes every hour as it took several hours longer than expected to complete
Altitude was a factor, recommend at least 1 day of acclimation
Rest leading up to event is mandatory I was running at 50% recovery on day of event due to work and lack of sleep

SGPT: How did you train for the rim to rim to rim hike of the Grand Canyon?

LM: I trained by rucking on my local trails with 30-50lbs for an hr at a time due to limited time. I also did several longer rucks on the Appalachian Trail (Blood Mountain) and hiked up and down Stone Mountain several times.

SGPT: What was the hardest part of the event?

LM: Temps ranged 40 at the start and over 100 during the day. Dehydration is a real concern as anything 50 miles is really pushing your body. The last ascent was 5-6k vert over 7 miles and it took hours longer than expected as I was exhausted and had difficulty getting proper nutrition from 1 of my hydration bladders.

SGPT: You also completed the Yeti Snake Bite 50k race. Tell us about that event and how it helped you with your hike of the Grand Canyon?

LM: Coach Brad has a proven strategy of crawl, walk and run. In order to attempt an event this grueling I recommend having done smaller events so you have a frame of reference.

Having suffered for 7 hours over 30 miles before made it easier to suffer for 19 hours and complete over 50 miles. Mindset is key as literally I had to finish this hike as rescue is near impossible. We had to get insurance as it’s over 100k to get airlifted out of the canyon by helicopter if you can’t get out on your own.

SGPT: What kind of trail shoes/boots did you use for the event? For training?

LM: I trained with GORUCK MacV boots and NNormal Tomir waterproof running shoes. Both have great ankle support which is key for avoiding sprained ankles. The Tomir is the best trail running shoes I have ever used in my over 20 yrs of trail running. They are now 40% off if anyone wants to get a pair.

SGPT: Did you use double socks or body glide on your feet to prevent blisters? How did you prepare your feet?

LM: I always use body glide all over the place (feet, hips, shoulders) whenever I am doing an event like this as well as darn tough socks.

SGPT: What is one thing you wish you would have done to get ready for the hike of the Grand Canyon?

LM: My training was pretty meager for this event. I wish I had done significantly more steep hills in preparation for this event as 12k vert at altitude is no joke and really kicked my ass.

SGPT: Any tips for up-and-coming athletes that want to do a Grand Canyon hike?

LM: Train hills, get a swim buddy to train with you and make sure to have a plan for hydration, nutrition, temp changes etc.

SGPT: What good book are you reading now? Are you listening to any good podcasts or audio books you can share?

LM: Currently reading The Gathering Storm Churchills book series about WW2. I love listening to audiobooks while rucking by Jack Carr, Brad Thor, Lee Child and Mark Greaney.

SGPT: Many thanks for the interview Laurence. We greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge and finish of the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim.

LM: Coach, excited to be part of the SGPT community and to get to participate in Colorado Peak Week this 2025. I am an everyday warrior that has gotten to complete some great adventures over the decades by consistently training and building a base over years. Excited to keep adventuring and pushing myself to accomplish big scary goals. Hooyah!