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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Lucy Campbell and agencies

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

Hiker Dale Sanders wades across a shallow rocky stream using hiking poles
Appalachian Trail hiker Dale Sanders wades across Big Wilson Stream on the 100-Mile Wilderness north of Monson, Maine, on 29 July 2026. Photograph: Robert F Bukaty/AP

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.

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