[angrybill]

What's the longest you've ever walked or ran within 24hours?
Why did you do it? (Stories welcomed)
Age at time of walk:
Current age:

I ran in a 1/2 marathon 2 times. First time at age 28, now I'm between 40-50s (no need for exact age). That's a rather boring story, but others I've spoken to in person have very interesting stories like hiking the Appalachian or Rocky Mountains, for fund raisers, and my Japanese friend who walk 20 hours straight (30minute breaks every 2 hours) and next day turned around and came back. It was mandated by the Japanese government employment office and they use to do as a group. That practice has stopped since injuries were frequent.

[eastbay]

I walked 20 miles of the John Muir Trail in one day when I was 19 years old carrying a 40 lb pack. I weighed 140 at the time.
I've ran 10 miles countless times most recently last year. I'm mid 50's.

A really long walk would be a very good idea. I may plan one soon. Thanks for the excellent idea.

[jasonraymondson]

20 miles ~ with a 70lb ruck 17 years old

Final march for AIT at Fort Leonard I ended up with several blisters on my feet and my knees and back were killing me as well.

[dunewalker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('angrybill', 'W')hat's the longest you've ever walked or ran within 24hours?
Why did you do it? (Stories welcomed)
Age at time of walk:
Current age:

[jasonraymondson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dunewalker', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('angrybill', 'W')hat's the longest you've ever walked or ran within 24hours?
Why did you do it? (Stories welcomed)
Age at time of walk:
Current age:

[Cog]

22 miles in a night/early morning road march with ruck and weapon at Fort Hunter Liggett, California. Yes it sucked about as much as you can imagine.

[angrybill]

Already 4 outstanding stories and experiences shared. Thank you. I’m amazed every time at these answers, even my boring one, which encourages me to go on a hike or a long walk. This one lady whom I asked in person a while back looked puzzled and took a long time to answer, then finally she said, longest was 2 miles on the way to a picnic.

[PrairieMule]

Last year I did 34 miles over 2 days in a pair of new balance trail runners. I'm a ultralighter, so my overnight pack is usually 10-12lbs.

Any other ultralighters here?

[Madpaddy]

26 miles in 4.5 hours with 35kg backpack. The blood was coming through my boots at the end.

Poor preparation, entirely my own fault.

[PrairieMule]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Madpaddy', '2')6 miles in 4.5 hours with 35kg backpack. The blood was coming through my boots at the end. Poor preparation, entirely my own fault.

[Auntie_Cipation]

I'll speak up for the non-athletes.

As a kid I participated in a handful of March of Dimes walkathons, which were 20 miles on city streets. Took most of the day.

Then in the early 80s I completed a half-marathon, which is 13.1 miles.

The longest trail hike (with light backpack) I've done is about 9 miles, not that much, but I did it essentially three times in four days. That was a big deal for me.
Day 1, trailhead down to Havasupai village, 8-9 miles w/light pack.
Day 2, about 8 miles dayhike with minimal pack.
Day 3, rest (freeze dried thanksgiving dinner celebrated on an Indian Reservation, that's the way to do it!),
Day 4, 8-9 mile hike back up/out to trailhead with pack.

Not as big an effort as some of youse guys who are serious endurance types, but at least I don't have to say that "2 miles to a picnic" is as far as I've gone...

[UltraViciousBudgie]

The most I hiked in one day is 22 miles, with an elevation gain of 4000ft. 30lbs+-. pack. I was 32 at the time. There were blisters larger than silver dollars on my feet.

Though in better shape today at 36 I hike no more than 15 miles per day now. Any more than that just isn't much fun.

[angrybill]

Like I said before ALL the stories are worthy and Amazing in there own right! Thanks to everyone who has shared thus far.
Keep them coming...

[eXpat]

30 miles (aprox) from Stirling to Doune, I was 30 at the time, in winter. I was knocked the hell out after that for a day

[r101958]

MCCRES (Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation System) humps, multiple times.

[angrybill]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('r101958', 'M')CCRES (Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation System) humps, multiple times.

[seahorse2]

Well, you said walking, not running, but many here have put in some run stories. There is a difference in my opinion.

First, 100 mile ultra-runs are a common race. However, you can find runs shorter, like a marathon (26) or 32 miler, 50 milers etc.

You could try an ironman distrance triathlon, which is 2.2 miles of swimming, 112 biking, and a marathon on the end. Pros do it in less than 10 hours, decent amateurs will do it in about 12-13. There are also many lesser distance triathlons out there.

Or, you may try and adventure race, which typically involves some canoeing, trekking, and mountain biking. In a typical 36 hour race, a team might cover well over 100 miles.

As for simple walking, its a lot less difficult than you might think to cover a long distance. A simple 2 mph pace will cover 40 miles in 20 hours, quite doable.

[dunewalker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seahorse2', 'W')ell, you said walking, not running, but many here have put in some run stories. There is a difference in my opinion.

First, 100 mile ultra-runs are a common race. However, you can find runs shorter, like a marathon (26) or 32 miler, 50 milers etc.

As for simple walking, its a lot less difficult than you might think to cover a long distance. A simple 2 mph pace will cover 40 miles in 20 hours, quite doable.

[Milret2]

Back when I was in the military I was stationed in Germany twice. There was a sport/social event called volksmarching where one could go for walks in the country and/or through townships that I got quite hooked on. These events would be on Saturdays and Sundays and generally would be 10-20 kilometers long. There were little medals and some books you could get stamped to keep track of your adventures. In six years of Germany tours I racked up over 15,000 kilometers (about 9300 miles) on foot .. sometimes doing several 20 KM walks per weekend. It is now a very international sport with events in the US -->http://www.ava.org/ but I got out of the habit many years ago.

Before my second trip to Germany I started jogging. Nine months later I ran a Dallas Texas marathon (26 miles) in three hours and thirty minutes at the age of 28. I ran (with faster ones then that first one) several more marathons in the next five/six years before I dropped out of the Marine Corp marathon at the Smithsonian institution secondary to losing my training edge. Now .. before I started training for a marathon I was exposed, on my first trip to Germany, to a marathoner at my duty station in Schweinfurt way back when I was a smoker and pretty inactive except for volksmarches. I was a smoker then, one pack a day for ten years. He helped me decide to stop smoking and start running. He saved my life. At the age of 41 I was in a very bad car accident with severe abdominal injuries, a hip dislocation, forearm fractures, facial fractures, cardiac contusion, and a ruptured eye. I have no doubt that if I had kept smoking I would have died at the scene or in the operating room or during the two weeks I was in the SICU. Instead ... I was back to work in under two months.

I am still pretty active but mostly biking (100-140 miles/week on roads) at the age of 57 now. I do some trail walking and very little jogging.

Richard, if you happen to read this post, thanks for getting me off the cigarettes;-).