Technically speaking, it’s impossible for anyone to walk around the earth. It’s important to know that a walk around the earth is a bit complicated. Nevertheless, people have been given accolades for achieving this impossible feat.
Walking around the earth can’t be completed on a straight line. Besides, no path on earth will allow a continuous trek. Individuals will have to use a boat for most of the trip. So how is a walk around the earth calculated? And how long will it take?
Not to worry, in this article we’ve provided a detailed analysis of how long it’ll take a person to walk around the earth. Plus, we’ll give accurate details on if the walk will be uninterrupted or not. So, don’t stop reading.
How Long Would It Take To Walk Around The Earth?
To know how long it would take to walk around the earth. It’ll be in your interest to know that the circumference around the earth is 25,000 miles. Plus, the average walking speed of a person is 3 miles per hour. This means a walk around the earth will take roughly 8,300 hours. So approximately, an active person will walk around the earth nonstop for 345.8 days.
Now, let’s assume a person walks 10 hours a day. This means it’ll take the person 830 days to walk around the earth. No doubt, the distance of walking around the earth solely depends on the speed of the person.
Furthermore, in line with the provisions of the World Runners Association (WRA). A global body that regulates games that include walking around the earth on foot. For it to be deemed that someone has walked around the earth. They must have officially completed at least 16,300 miles on foot.
Non-Stop Journey to Walk Around the Earth
The usual walking stride for individuals in their twenties is 3 to 3.04 miles per hour. Also, walking speed usually decreases as people age. Therefore, individuals in their fifties tend to have a slower walking speed of 2.93 mph. While people in their sixties walk at a stride of 2.10mph.
Moreover, it’s estimated that a person will take about 7,200 paces in a day. Logically, if a person walks around the earth in 345.8 days, they will have taken 2,484,000 steps to complete it uninterrupted.
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A Shorter Path to Walking Around the Earth
The earth is not an exact sphere because of its rotation. A part of the earth protrudes around the equator. Thus, making the circumference at the equator (24, 90141 miles) longer than the meridional circumference (24,860 miles).
So if a person were to trek the meridional circumference uninterrupted at 3mph. It’ll take them 8,286 hours which is 14 hours earlier to complete a walk around the earth.
People Who Have Walked Around the Earth
According to the Guinness book of records, some people have successfully walked around the earth. However, the most notable of them is Dave Kunst. In 1970, he traversed the earth on foot with his brother, John. Although, his brother was unable to complete the journey because they were attacked by bandits. Kunst completed his journey and returned on October 5, 1974. He was the first individual to walk around the earth.
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Other people who have also walked around the earth on foot are:
- Longest circumnavigation on foot: Tony Mangan. He covered 50,000 km across the earth. (Oct 2010- Oct 2014)
- Fastest distance covered: Jesper Olsen. He covered 26,000 km in 662 days. (Jan 2004- Oct 2005)
- Second person to circumnavigate the earth: Steven Newman. He walked 14,500 miles and four continents. (April 1983- April 1987)
- First to run around the earth: He covered 48,000 miles. (Oct 1997- June 2003)
To sum it up
Now, you know how long it would take to walk around the earth. A journey like this will require several pairs of shoes, over a million steps, stamina, determination, and most of all good health. With all these, the impossible feat of walking around the earth can become possible.
