On August 31, 2026, Dale Sanders finished the Appalachian Trail, a hiking route through the mountains. At age 91, he once again became the oldest person to do that. This trail is 3,530 kilometers long and runs between Georgia and Maine, two American states.

His latest journey was not easy. Sanders fell 71 times, and six of these were hard falls. One of them sent him to the hospital for a short time. Still, he did not stop hiking.

Sanders first set the record in 2017, at age 82. In 2021, a friend took the title. A few months later, Sanders decided to try again.

The trip was harder this time. In June, he fell on a mountain in the state of Vermont. Later, his left arm went numb, and doctors first thought it was a stroke. But they found that it was not, and he was allowed to keep hiking. He thought about giving up anyway. His wife told him to continue.

In the state of Pennsylvania, kind strangers called "trail angels" brought him food and drinks. He explained that small gifts, even caramel frappes, made the tough days easy. Thousands follow Sanders online, and this surprised him. Because of them, his goal has changed. He said the most important thing now is that people feel motivated by what he does.