At his current pace, the record is going to come down to the wire. Photo: Aurélien Sanchez//Facebook
French trail runner Aurélien Sanchez embarked on the Pacific Crest Trail on Sunday, June 7, with an audacious goal. He’s not planning to soak in the views and smell the flowers. He’s attempting to be the fastest ever to complete the 2,650-mile journey from Mexico to Canada.
The current record was set in 2023 by Belgian Karel Sabbe, who did it in 46 days, beating the previous record by a staggering five days. Nine days and 506 miles into the trek, Sanchez is currently in the Mojave Desert north of Lancaster, California. You can follow his GPS location in real time on his website.
If Sanchez maintains his current pace of 506 miles every nine days, he’d finish the trail in 47 days, short of the record. That said, depending on how far he travels today, he could be on track. Of course, the geography will dictate pace; the high-altitude passes in the Sierra Nevada will slow him down, and the somewhat flatter terrain in Northern California will allow him to travel faster.
Notably, Sanchez passed through the Wrightwood area yesterday, which is believed to be the epicenter of a norovirus outbreak among northbound hikers on the trail.
The 35-year-old engineer from Toulouse, France has been regularly posting on social media, gushing over the California landscapes and wildlife. He passed what appeared to be a bobcat at night on the trail. He’s also admitted that the trail has been challenging — both mentally and physically. He’s had to take nighttime rests due to exhaustion, napping directly on the trail at times.
In 2018, he set the record on the 223-mile John Muir Trail, traveling from Mount Whitney to Yosemite in just three days and 10 hours.
“When I’m suffering or struggling, I rely a lot on the effort in the project so I have the mental strength to push on,” Aurélien told the SF Chronicle. “I love the sport because it’s pushing us to our limits, and this is where I feel the most adrenaline. (The PCT) is an amazing place that I want to discover. This is a dream for me.”
