Del Sanders reclaims Appalachian Trail record at 91

Del Sanders has become the oldest person to complete every section of the Appalachian Trail, reclaiming a record he first set at 82. The 91-year-old American finished the challenge at Mount Katahdin in Maine, where he stopped to pray and thank his team and supporters.

Sanders covered 3,530 kilometres and fell 71 times during the effort, including six incidents he described as serious. One fall led to a short hospital stay, while another came roughly 183 metres from the finish. In June, he suffered cuts to his arms, legs and hands after falling on rocky ground while descending Vermont’s Killington Mountain, but continued his journey.

He began on September 6 in West Virginia and completed the trail’s separate sections with short breaks rather than walking continuously from Georgia to Maine. The recognised standard allows hikers to cover all parts of the 3,530-kilometre route in any order within one year. Sanders also briefly left the trail after numbness in his left arm led to hospital checks in Maine; doctors found a compressed nerve rather than a stroke.

Sanders considered quitting and returned to Tennessee after his wife’s mother died, but his wife encouraged him to continue. His previous record was taken in 2021 by his friend M.J. Eberhart, who finished at 83. Sanders has said the achievement now matters less than inspiring others, while his campaign remains an exceptional individual feat supported by six months of training and a dedicated team.