The 50-Mile Walking Challenge

Walking as a competitive sport was all the rage 150 years ago. Arenas would fill and people would cheer on their favorite walkers. Yes, it was even considered dangerous by some religious groups and why not? It incited tempers and fervor for physical elitism, as well as gambling to be sure. Much later, however, another American walking tradition sprang up inspired by President John F. Kennedy and considered to be the proof of physical health, walking 50 miles. It is also known as the Kennedy March.

Why walking? What’s the catch? Here’s the story: One of Kennedy’s platforms was to improve the overall wellbeing of the country after a successful but grueling set of wars in the 1940s and 50s. Kennedy came into office with a new hope, Camelot. He was young, he was sporty, although also riddled with health issues of his own, and one of his goals was to keep the nation from becoming complacent in the face of an increasingly sedentary and mechanized world. The television had only recently come into every household. President Kennedy inherited the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, to which he added the march of 50 miles.

Why 50 miles? Because President Teddy Roosevelt apparently declared walking 50 miles in 20 hours was the supreme test of a Marine’s physical fitness when he was in office. The walking challenge received national attention and was turned into a little bit of a craze when individuals and communities picked it up.

Today, there has been a little bit of a resurgence and, with a quick search ,you can see a lot of political causes adopted this distance of 50 miles. Perhaps there is one you would like to join or, like Bobby Kennedy before, just start walking and see if you can do it!