In 1908, President Teddy Roosevelt issued an executive order mandating that Marine officers complete a 50-mile hike in under 20 hours. He believed fitness was essential to leadership. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy found that order and turned it into a national challenge.
Which turned into the 50-Mile Frenzy.
People of all ages, from all backgrounds started walking 50 miles within days of his announcement.
The Physical Fitness Council even issued a warning that “Anyone contemplating hiking 50 miles against time should be in good physical condition, should be in training, and should see a physician before starting out.”
My dad was one of the people who took up the challenge. That spring, he and a friend ran from Vaughn Junction to Conrad, MT – 50 miles in under 8 hours. According to the paper, when they returned “they had eaten two candy bars and a half sandwich during the whole trip, and now they quickly downed two large soft drinks. The night before they had played tennis and basketball for about three hours, and put in a poor night sleep that was interrupted at 4:30 a.m. for the start of their trip.”
The largest 50-miler was organized by the student body president of Redwood High School in Marin County, CA, and included over 400 kids.
My favorite account is this one from Nebraska:
“A 26-year-old mother of three, from Lincoln, Nebraska, Pauline Domico, set off on her own 50-mile hike from Lincoln to the Missouri River at 3:45 p.m., just three days after the AP article was published. She called it her ‘March to Missouri,’ and carried a 20-pound duffle bag with a change of clothes, shoes, flashlight, candy bars and sandwiches.”
