Aurélien Sanchez faced one setback after another during his Pacific Crest Trail FKT attempt—but none could stop him. When Aurélien Sanchez reached the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail on July 23, he felt mixed emotions. But I was so anxious about the way back as well,” he told Backpacker in an interview just days after he set the record. The previous PCT supported FKT record was set by Karel Sabbe in 2023, who finished the PCT in 46 days, 12 hours, and 50 minutes. For days, Sanchez was trailing just an hour behind the record set in 2023.