Thru hiking stats – couples?

Not really. Or more accurately, it's even more disjointed that the solo hiker stats.

One problem relates to the lack of official records. Since they're generally wildly arguable and sensitive, most of the main organizations (ATC, PCTA, etc) stay away from the time consuming and distracting task of validating records.

The Fastest Known Time proboard is one of the sources that attempts to track this stuff. As do various blogs and various other unofficial sources.

Another problem is that pursuing records on long trails is a pretty new thing. Many of these "events" have never been tried, or haven't yet seen real competition. Doubt that the oldest couple on the PCT ever wanted recognition or thought of themselves as setting a record.

How would this work anyways? Average age? Combined age?

I believe that the TRTA and the NCTA have couple records for their trails. I've seen that type of information in their magazines. I don't think that ALDHA-W knows the oldest couple triple crown holders, but they'd probably be able to take a very good guess.

EDIT: made it say what I was meaning.

You would need to have multiple categories for couples. Male-Female, Male-Male, and Female-Female come to mind. Also, to be politically correct, there is now Gender Neutral. All this assumes that both members of the pair are of the same species. With a few of the people who hang out here, you never know.

–B.G.–

Now we just need some aspiring thru-hiker err I mean counseling student, to get grant and study the issue. Of course this student would have to hike the trail in order to properly study the relational dynamics of thru-hiking. Anything for science right?

My guess is the thesis would be read by roughly no one. On the other hand the hiker err student would be ideally positioned to publish a best seller with a title like "Love, Hate and Divorce on the Appalachian Trail." or set the record for "The Most Remote Divorce in the Continental US"