Overview
- Sanders reached the summit of Mount Katahdin on Monday, Aug. 31, completing the roughly 2,190–2,200‑mile Appalachian Trail and reclaiming the record as the oldest person to finish a thru‑hike at age 91.
- He counted 71 falls during the effort, six of which he classed as hard falls, with one landing him briefly in a Maine hospital where doctors diagnosed a pinched nerve and later cleared him to resume hiking.
- Sanders began the attempt on Sept. 6, 2025, section‑hiked the trail out of order with winter pauses, and met the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s rule that a thru‑hike may be done in segments within a 12‑month period.
- The journey relied on a small support team, volunteers known as ‘trail angels,’ and thousands of online followers whose encouragement Sanders says made inspiration as important as reclaiming the record.
- Sanders previously set the AT age mark in 2017 and holds other late‑life endurance feats, so his finish both cements his personal record and raises public interest in how older adults train, recover, and are supported on long trails.