An Ultrarunner Is Gunning for the Fastest-Ever Completion of the Pacific Crest Trail

June 16, 2026

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. THE Inertia