In 1908, U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt wanted to make sure that his military officers were in good shape, so he issued an executive order — make ‘em walk 50 miles, he said, “and for the last half-mile double-time 200 yards, rest 30 seconds; double time 200 yards, rest 30 seconds and sprint the last 200 years to the finish line as proof of their fitness.”
Roosevelt, according to this research, gave them three days to finish the course, but some completed it in as little as a day. Some 55 years later, in 1963, newly-elected President John F. Kennedy was trying to bump up the country’s fitness as well. He found the old executive order and sent it to a military adviser:
Kennedy’s memo to Shoup stated, “Why don’t you send this back to me as your own discovery? You might want to add a comment that today’s Marine Corps officers are just as fit as those of 1908, and are willing to prove it. I, in turn, will ask Mr. Salinger for a report on the fitness of the While House staff.” (link)
For some reason, the press story about the discovery seized the public’s imagination, and lots of just regular folks attempted the challenge. And, for some reason, the 20-hour limit became the time to beat.
(For the first time ever, I’ve found more — and better — information on a Google Knol about the subject than on Wikipedia)
Anyway, the one-year fad, um, died out after Kennedy’s assassination, but there’s at least one 50-mile hike/race that’s been organized every year since 1963 — the JFK Memorial 50-mile in Maryland.
I first heard about it while flipping through vintage Life magazines in a used bookstore near Riding Mountain National Park. The magazine had loads of photos from nation-wide 50-mile hikes, and lots of clever captions. I was intrigued, and I really should have bought the magazine. It couldn’t have been more than a couple of bucks, but I put it back. Luckily, Google Images has Life archives on their search, and you can see some of the pictures here. (I included one at the top: “Chester, IL youths who beat the US Marine 50-mile walking record by 1 hr. and 15 min”)
The writer of the Google Knol, Paul Kiczek, theorizes that people got caught up in the phenomenon because 50 miles in 20 hours sounded like an achievable goal. And, once a few “everyday people” started completing it (housewives, postmen, children) it looked even more so.
I’m moderately fit. I think I could do it. Could you? Wanna join me?
I’m thinking about taking a day in September, maybe, and trying to hike 50 miles. I was also thinking that from my home in Brandon to the bookstore in Onanole where I found the Life magazine, it’s about 55 miles. That’s longer than the 50 miles, but I’ll bet I could do it. It’s also slightly longer than a double-marathon (which would be 52.4 miles) but I haven’t accurately mapped out the distance and there might be shortcuts where cars have to go around.
In driving to and from Riding Mountain, I’ve seen several old railbeds that might make good hiking trails, so we could stay off the main highway. If that fails, there are a lot of gravel mile roads that don’t get much traffic. So, who’s in?
(Full disclosure: I’ve been semi-obsessed with long-distance walking for several years, and I’d love to do some cross-continental hikes, but can’t afford the time. This may sate my appetite.)
Grant Hamilton
12 Responses to “How long would it take you to walk 50 miles? Teddy Roosevelt and JFK say 20 hours or less”
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This 11-year-old did 30 miles in 10 hours, so I think I can do it, too:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/a-5th-graders-32-mile-quest/
Grant,
If it is late enough in September I might be able to attempt this with you. The question I would have is this walk supported or unsupported? That is, do we bring our own food/water or do we have supplies cached or do we have someone meeting us along the way? Let’s discuss this over cheese.
The original executive order asked the military to do it with about 25 pounds worth of gear, including a small rucksack and a sidearm. I think we can dispense with the pistol, but I would think we could do it self-supported, so long as it wasn’t really hot. A few litres of water, some high-density food, and I think we’d be good to go.
My dates are flexible, but I don’t really want to freeze while we’re doing this, so I’d be hesitant to push it back too far … no later than early October, for sure.
At any rate, with a cell phone, we’d never be more than an hour from a Brandon-based rescue mission, and even less if there was a real emergency. I know that there are tons of winter snowmobile trails in that area, which all link up, and I’ll bet we could walk the whole way in semi-bucolic wilderness.
Let’s do discuss this over cheese. This week? I’ll email you.
I started my research project about the 50-mile hike phenomenon a couple years ago as Grant mentions above. Mainly it was a insistent memory of a time past in my teens in the mid-60s when I actually attempted to hike the 50 with a group of my teenage friends. Its harder than it sounds, and we lasted 38 miles, but made for a very interesting life experience.
More recently (Feb 2009) I tried again (at age 60) and I made 38 miles in 12 hours along the C&O Canal in Maryland the very same route RFK walked in 1963. Remarkable that it was at this same point I bowed out. BTW – I’m in pretty good shape.
However, I’m not done with this yet. I’m planning another attempt in the near future. I’m interested in anyone planning a 50-mile hike, especially with knowledge of the 50-mile JFK fitness experience. Join my group <a href="http://50-milehikers.ning.com"50-mile hikers if you are interested in more.
Hi Paul — thanks for the comment!
I’ll definitely join your ning group, and I’ll keep you posted on the status of our walk, but I’m afraid I’m too young to have any memories of the original challenge. However, I do recall reading in one of the links that I Googled, about a Canadian spin-off of sorts, called Miles for Millions, which pitted the cities of Winnipeg and Hamilton against each other in a challenge to see who could get the most citizens to walk 80 km (just a shade under 50 miles). When I get home, I’ll see if I can dig up the link in my browser history.
I’m curious to hear more about your experience(s) of bowing out at 38 miles. In my thinking about it, I figured that 20 hours should be pretty generous for 50 miles, since it works out to just two-and-a-half miles per hour, which should allow a fair amount of time for resting and such. However, I was worried about scheduling start and finish times that avoided unfamiliar hiking in the dark as much as possible, and I figured that tiredness (ie. sleepiness) after 20 hours of being awake and active would pose a bit of a problem.
Did you do any training prior to your attempts?
Cheers!
Hey Grant – thanks for bringing up the subject!
One thing I find fascinating about the experience is that it was an intense period of interest in physical fitness with JFK leading the way much like Obama might do today if he was inclined to and the public were not so distracted. But the funny thing is that most people my age don’t have any recollection of the 50-mile hike. Those that I can find that did it remember it as a special unique time, albeit lacking in details now.
Def check out the Miles for Millions. This fascinated me but I could only get so much detail on it. It deserves its own posting for the Herculean effort of the masses. Also, the continued interest (maybe passion) in the Netherlands in “Kennedy Marches” continues today while lost in America.
On the actual 38 mile effort, see my blogs in 50-milehikers.ning.com. I blogged a little on the prep for this there too in some older posts. While the hike is not very muscle-strength-oriented or aerobic, there’s many issues to consider like exhaustion, timing, light/darkness, food, water, shoes, clothes and company. I continue to think long distance walking may be challenge for a larger public audience.
If you decide to walk, I may or may not be there with you, but I’ll be rooting for you all the way.
Depending on the date chosen, I’m in.
Grant,
I am always up to my eyeballs with parenting, working and working on our home but I also am always somewhat flexible. Fire me an email at mike@mikewaddell.ca and I will get you my cell number and we can begin the dance of trying to get connected.
On the issue of cold I am thinking that cooler, in some ways, is better for an attempt at something like this. I have friends who are ultramarathoners and this year they did the race in the Sahara…. Two of their team of three completed while one DNF and heat was a definite factor.
I will begin reading up on it as well as it fascinates me going back to a story from my grandfather’s young adulthood in which one of his neighbours was quite a walker. Whenever supplies were needed this gentleman would load up on a few things to munch, a bit of water and he would hike the miles from Muir, just South of Gladstone, MB to Portage la Prairie. Once in Portage he would load up a packboard with the needed supplies-flour, sugar, yeast, etc…. And immediately begin the hike back. Depending on the route one took it was at least a 50 mile round trip and could have been as much as 70 miles…. This was all done in a round the clock fashion.
I am looking forward to the potential of an adventure.
I remember a walk-a-thon in Brandon back in the early 70′s. I can’t remember what is was for, but I’m pretty sure it was a 30 mile walk…I did it two years …took at least 12 hours, but I was pretty young 12 or 13…anyone else remember this? Anyhow I would be in for a walk to Onanole!! I have a vague memory of going to watch a movie at The Strand Theatre the evening after the walk. I’m pretty sure the movie was “The Ten Commandments”, but the time frame doesn’t work for the 70′s…maybe a re-release?
Interesting. I might be in.
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