How long would it take to walk 50 miles in a day?
It depends on the terrain and the person walking, but on a flat tarmacked road, the general guess is that you walk 1 mile every 20 minutes. So, 50 miles would be about 17 hours.
Trained Walkers
That suggests that If a walker is well-trained and takes breaks, they can walk 20 miles in a day. If a walker doesn't take breaks and is going fast, they may be able to cover 30 miles in a day.
There is no set number of miles that is considered too much (or too little) for all walkers. However, it is wise to start with shorter walks and gradually increase mileage as fitness goals are met.
Allow your body some time to get used to that. Ideally one should walk about 8 to 10 kilometers in one go three times a week within one and a half hours. Try this for four weeks. If one day you or your feet feel uncomfortable, try bicycling for an hour, just for a change.
The strict walking requirement is what makes walking a 100 miles in a day harder than running that distance, according to those who have done both. To travel 100 miles in 24 hours, you have to average 1 mile every 14 minutes and 24 seconds.
George Meegan
From Tierra Del Fuego to the northernmost part of Alaska, George Meegan walked 19,019 miles in 2,425 days (1977-1983). He holds the record for the longest unbroken walk, the first and only walk to cover the entire western hemisphere, and the most degrees of latitude ever covered on foot.
How Far Is Too Far? Most people whose feet are not prepared by being toughened up on previous walks will have blisters by 10 or 12 miles. If you are going to walk more than 6 miles, you should prepare by steadily increasing mileage by 1 mile per week or 2 miles every two weeks.
Mathematically speaking, 30 miles at three miles per hour means at least ten hours of hiking. It sounds like a lot, and it is. But how you break up your day can make it feel less daunting. Plan to wake up between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m., and spend 45 minutes (or less) breaking down camp before hitting the trail.
The longest walkable distance, from Cape Town in South Africa to the port town of Magadan on the eastern side of Russia, is yet to be explored. No human has ever gone on this long a walk. The distance between these two destinations is 22,387 km.
| Miles | Relaxed | Moderate |
|---|---|---|
| 50 miles | 25 hrs | 16 hrs, 40 mins |
| 60 miles | 30 hrs | 20 hrs |
| 70 miles | 35 hrs | 23 hrs, 20 mins |
| 80 miles | 40 hrs | 26 hrs, 40 mins |
How many miles can a person walk in 24 hours?
A trained walker can walk a 26.2-mile marathon in eight hours or less, or walk 20 to 30 miles in a day.
Most people finish a marathon in three to six hours and make it home in time for lunch. But a 50-miler takes an average of 10 hours, said Karl Hoagland, publisher of UltraRunning Magazine, and 100-milers typically take 24 to 30 hours or more of nonstop forward motion.
Walking takes time
A typical walking pace is 15–20 minutes per mile. Going any faster will result in you essentially jogging or running, which has other benefits and downsides compared with walking. At the typical walking rate, it'll take you 2–3 hours to get to 10 miles.