The Earth appears to be round and spherical when viewed from the vantage point of space,
but it is actually a lot closer to an irregular-shaped ellipsoid. Many people in the past have tried
to walk around the circumference of the Earth near the equator. But a walk around the planet
is not an easy task since it is made up of a combination of both land and water. So,
assuming we could somehow walk all around the circumference of the Earth at the equator,
how long would that journey even take? And would it be possible for an average person
to accomplish such a task? Today, we will be exploring, how long it would take to circumnavigate
the Earth on foot! But before we begin, be sure to hit that subscribe button if you want
to see more content like this!
The Earth has a circumference of exactly 40,075 km (24,901 miles) at the equator. The average
walking speed for most people is about 5.0 km/hour (3 miles/hour). This means we are
looking at about 8,015 hours of walking or about 330 days, which is just under a year,
in order for a person to complete a lap around the Earth. But this is assuming we could constantly
walk at the same pace without ever slowing down or resting. But bad news for us, the
human anatomy and physiology make it next to impossible for anyone to continuously walk
for this period of time. We require proper nutrition, along with restorative sleep to
function at our best. Moreover, since it requires about 50 million steps, a person on this journey
would also need multiple pairs of shoes, good health, determination, and stamina. It would
be an epic demonstration of human endurance and courage. Having said that, the average
person can only walk for about 10 hours per day. That puts us at 802 days of walking or
about 2.25 years! Now that is how long it would take a person to walk around the Earth
assuming that there was a continuous strip of land available. But as we all know, that
is certainly not the case.
The walk around the Earth is not as simple. We need to also take into consideration the
various topographical features of the Earth. For example, 72% of the Earth’s surface
is covered with water. Not to mention its various valleys, hills, and mountains! So,
there is no path entirely on land that would permit a 40,075 km continuous trek. One would
have to take a boat or plane for a substantial part of the trip. But these facts have still
not deterred many from attempting this monumental challenge in the past. So, people who have
attempted this challenge have done approximations of this. For example, some have gone from
continent to continent on a plane or a boat and then walked all across while others have
figured out optimal routes avoiding water as best as they could. Nonetheless, the journey
is still extremely tough, to say the least.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the first verified walk around the Earth was
made by Dave Kunst. It took him four years, 21 million steps, and 22 pairs of leather
shoes for Kunst to complete his record-making 23,255 km (14,450-mile) walk in 1974. However,
Kunst’s walk may not have been the first circumnavigation by foot. The Guinness Book
of World Records also mentions George Matthew Schilling as being reputed to have circumnavigated
the globe between 1897 and 1904. Steve Newman is also mentioned as the first to walk around
the world solo. It took him four years to cross 20 countries for a distance of 24,140
km (15,000 miles). Moreover, Jean Beliveau started his walk in 1998 at age 45. He hiked
roughly 72,420 km (45,000 miles) through 64 countries in 11 years.
This goes to show that anything is possible if we are determined to accomplish the goals
we have set for ourselves! Would you ever consider taking on this monumental challenge
of walking around the Earth? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section down below!
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see you in the next one!