Hiker, 91, becomes oldest person to complete grueling Appalachian Trail

Dale Sanders said he fell 71 times on the trail, but completed the journey as ‘people are motivated … by my efforts’ A 91-year-old hiker has reclaimed his record as the oldest person to complete the more than 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail. By his count, Dale Sanders, of Tennessee, fell 71 times during the feat, six of which he said were hard falls and one which required a brief hospitalization and another just 200 yards from the end. The 2,193-mile trail runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. Continue reading...

Lucy Campbell and agencies · Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 3:17 PM
US news | The Guardian

Hiker, 91, becomes oldest person to complete grueling Appalachian Trail

Dale Sanders said he fell 71 times on the trail, but completed the journey as ‘people are motivated … by my efforts’

A 91-year-old hiker has reclaimed his record as the oldest person to complete the more than 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail.

By his count, Dale Sanders, of Tennessee, fell 71 times during the feat, six of which he said were hard falls and one which required a brief hospitalization and another just 200 yards from the end. The 2,193-mile trail runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.

This page shows an excerpt; reporting belongs to the original publisher. Some images or embeds may be omitted compared with the live article.