MILLINOCKET, Maine - A 91-year-old hiker completed the 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail on Monday to reclaim his title as the oldest person to finish the iconic trek.
Dale "Grey Beard" Sanders reached the summit of Mount Katahdin after a grueling journey through 14 states, pushing past dozens of falls, a hospitalization and moments of doubt to inspire thousands along the way.
Record Appalachian Trail hike
What we know:
Sanders started his trek on Sept. 6, 2025, in West Virginia and finished Monday atop Maine's highest peak.
By his count, he fell 71 times along the 2,193-mile trail, including six hard falls and one health scare that required brief hospitalization in Maine for a pinched nerve.
He first set the record in 2017 at age 82, lost it four years later to an 83-year-old friend, and spent months preparing to reclaim the title.
Trail injuries and recovery
What we don't know:
Officials have not released specific medical reports detailing the exact timeline of his recovery during his Maine hospital visit. It is also unclear whether Sanders plans to pursue future long-distance hiking records following this achievement.
Inspiring fellow hikers
What they're saying:
"I had to thank God, and I had to thank my support team and everybody that got me here," Sanders said upon reaching the summit.
Fellow hiker Meredith Ewenson met Sanders in New Hampshire and recalled watching him trek past her group. "His face on that body just doesn't make any sense," Ewenson said. "My brain couldn't compute how he was so impossibly fit for being that age."
Sanders emphasized that inspiring others became his main driver. "What's the most important thing — and it's one of the things that surprised me — is that people are motivated and given encouragement by my efforts," he said.
Athletic history and background
The backstory:
Born in Kentucky in 1935, Sanders served in the Navy and retired in 2002 after working in parks and recreation. He holds multiple age-related athletic records, including becoming the oldest person to paddle the entire length of the Mississippi River during an 87-day trip launched on his 87th birthday.
What you can do:
You can follow along with his accomplishments on his team's Facebook page.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Associated Press, who reported from Millinocket, Maine, as well as official social media updates from Grey Beard Team USA Appalachian Trail.