Michelino Sunseri climbed past boulders on his way to a record-breaking feat: The extreme runner reached the summit of Grand Teton, one of the highest mountains in the American West, and then rushed back down, all in less than three hours.

The National Park Service, however, didn’t celebrate. Instead, it charged him with a crime.

Sunseri was found guilty of a misdemeanor for spending just two minutes during the run on a prohibited trail in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

The remarkable solo triumph in 2024 has been overshadowed by his legal saga. “Free Michelino” stickers are on posts and benches in Jackson, Wyoming. Sunseri’s supporters, including members of Congress, are appalled by what they consider to be a glaring example of excessive enforcement by the government.

But Sunse

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