On Thursday, July 23, 2026, France’s Aurélien Sanchez set a new men’s supported fastest known time on the Pacific Crest Trail in the western United States. His time of 45 days, 20 hours, and 15 minutes betters the previous record of 46 days, 12 hours, and 50 minutes, set by Karel Sabbe of Belgium in 2023, by 16 hours and 35 minutes.
Aurélien Sanchez with friend and fellow runner John Kelly during his 2026 Pacific Crest Trail fastest known time, as Sanchez passed through the Sierra Nevada of California. Photo: Jessi Kelly
When Sanchez announced he was going for the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) fastest known time (FKT), he declared he wanted to complete it in less than 46 days. His effort averages an impressive 56 miles (90 kilometers) per day.
The PCT has become one of the more competitive long-distance FKTs in recent years. Sabbe reclaimed the men’s supported FKT from Timothy Olson in 2023, lowering it by nearly five days.
Difficult Desert Miles
The PCT crosses the United States from the U.S.-Mexico border at Campo, California, to the U.S.-Canada border at Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia. As one of the longest trails in the U.S., the route runs 2,653 miles (4,270 kilometers) and includes more than 400,000 feet (121,920 meters) of elevation gain. The trail passes through California, Oregon, and Washington, traversing through the Sonoran and Mojave deserts before climbing through the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. Sanchez departed from Campo on the morning of June 8.
Sanchez’s original plan was to push harder than Sabbe through the California desert by sleeping less and covering more ground, hoping to reach the Sierra Nevada with a one-day advantage. He briefly held that pace, finishing day three approximately 22 miles (37 kilometers) ahead of Sabbe’s schedule. But high winds, hot days, cold nights, and accumulating fatigue reduced his lead to around nine miles (15 kilometers) by the end of day four.
Eleven days into the attempt, Sanchez acknowledged that his aggressive opening strategy had not paid off, writing on social media, “The plan was aggressive. My goal was to reach the Sierra Nevada with a one-day lead. I won’t make it, that’s part of the game. I took a gamble, and it didn’t pay off. Now it’s time to adapt and keep moving forward. The PCT is still a long way from over.”
Aurélien Sanchez with his crew and John Kelly during his 2026 Pacific Crest Trail fastest known time. Photo: Jessi Kelly
In for the Long Haul
From there, Sanchez settled into a pace remarkably similar to Sabbe’s. Despite battling extreme heat, scarce water sources, wildfires, and long stretches of burned forest — the normal but difficult conditions of the PCT — he remained within striking distance of the record. Around two weeks into the effort, he began struggling with foot and ankle pain and admitted he had considered ending the attempt. Nevertheless, he reached the halfway point on July 2 – some 25 days after starting – matching Sabbe’s pace from 2023.
He also crossed into Oregon on day 30, mirroring Sabbe’s schedule. Even after spending a night in the hospital receiving treatment for a foot infection late in the attempt, Sanchez returned to the trail and entered Washington on day 38, matching Sabbe’s schedule once again, with the outcome still uncertain. As Sanchez entered Washington state, his team wrote on social media, “The dream is within reach, but nothing is guaranteed yet,” before adding that Sanchez would “lower his head, grit his teeth, and keep moving forward.”
Sanchez was supported primarily by his partner, Lucille Malgouyres, and her cousin, Martin Tullot, with other friends and family joining the crew for portions of the attempt. Malgouyres documented the logistical challenges on social media, writing that she slept only 14.5 hours over the first 11 days. Over the course of this 1.5-month effort, wildfires, road closures, and detours complicated crew access, while one planned crew rendezvous in the Sierra Nevada was delayed after a crew member developed altitude sickness.
Aurélien Sanchez and John Kelly chat during his 2026 Pacific Crest Trail fastest known time. Photo: Jessi Kelly
A Background in Doing Hard Things
Sanchez is no stranger to long, hard efforts. In 2018, he set the men’s then-overall unsupported FKT on the 223-mile (359 kilometers) John Muir Trail, a large portion of which follows the exact path of the PCT.
He was also one of only three finishers at the 2023 Barkley Marathons and competed in some of Europe’s longest ultramarathons, including the 224-mile (360 kilometers) Tor des Géants and the 435-mile (700 kilometers) SwissPeaks Trail.
The Final Record Push
It was Sanchez’s final push over the last three days of his attempt that sealed the deal. Where Sabbe had been forced to take a roughly 70-mile (113 kilometers) detour at around mile 2,550 because of wildfires in Washington state in 2023, Sanchez was able to remain on the more direct official PCT route to the Canadian border. With wildfire closures a regular feature of the trail, official seasonal reroutes are considered part of the PCT for FKT purposes, making changing route conditions an inherent part of the challenge. A comparison of their routes can be viewed here. Sanchez surged ahead, moving for around 18 hours on two consecutive days before a final 16-hour effort on the 46th and final day.
When he arrived at the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail, finally touching the U.S.-Canadian border, Sanchez had accomplished exactly what he set out to do: finish in under 46 days and establish a new men’s supported PCT FKT. Shortly after finishing, Sanchez wrote on his live-tracking page, “This record would not have been possible without the incredible support of my family, friends, partners, and everyone who encouraged me throughout this journey. Thank you for your trust, your messages, and your energy. This achievement belongs to you as well. The adventure continues!”
[Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest columnist Clare Gunton.]
File photo of Aurélien Sanchez during the 2019 John Cappis 50k in Colorado. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
