This question comes up from time to time.
Back in the '50s, before people did serious trail running, Bob and Jeri Lee of Ridgecrest were the first to best the "eight hour barrier." They would race to the summit, swearing on a bible to not cut switchbacks or take shortcuts, and have someone on top sign a piece of paper, which they would carry back down. Once back at the Portal, their times were checked by three or four stopwatches. These stopwatches were manned by a local jeweler, and a church minister. The jeweler because, in those days, jewelers had the best timepieces, and the minister because they could be trusted to tell the truth.
The following year, a fellow from Colorado beat Bob's time by about an hour, but it was later determined that he had slid down the snow from Trail Crest. No matter, Bob came back and beat that (legitimately) a year later--again with jeweler and minister. And so it went for a few years.
I don't recall Bob's best time, but Jeri's was 6:46. I'm sure they've both been bettered a lot since then. But without bibles, jewelers, and ministers, I just don't know....
