50-Mile Hikers

memorable hikes | then & now

JFK started a walking fad in 1963. The challenge: walk 50 miles in 1 day to prove you were fit. Got memories? Why walking? Why not now?

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Books On Walking

The Lost Art of Walking: The History, Science and Literature of Pedestrianism
By Geoff Nicholson, Riverhead Books, 2008
Interesting boo… Continue

Created by Paul Kiczek Apr 6, 2009 at 9:17pm. Last updated by Paul Kiczek Apr. 7, 2009.

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Created by Paul Kiczek Feb 5, 2009 at 2:19pm. Last updated by Paul Kiczek Apr. 7, 2009.

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This website is an extension of my research project "The 50-Mile Hike Phenomenon" . Believe it or not, there was a walking craze in 1963, caused by our then President, John F. Kennedy, which excited thousands and caused them to walk an extreme distance of 50-miles in a single day. There was no particular place to go or strong cause, except to demonstrate we were a fit nation, personally willing to tac… Continue

Created by Paul Kiczek Nov 22, 2008 at 7:32pm. Last updated by Paul Kiczek Apr. 7, 2009.

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Blog Posts

Paul Kiczek

Log for 38-mile Walk - Maryland - 2/7/09

My plan was to take a 50-mile walk following the same path Robert F. Kennedy chose for his historic 50 mile walk in 1963 at this same time that year. I was motivated to see how this hike would have felt for him and also as a way to try and relive my attempt at a 50 mile walk in the summer of 1963. (Click here to learn more about the 50-Mile Hike Phenomenon back then)… Continue

Posted by Paul Kiczek on February 12, 2009 at 10:00pm — 4 Comments

Paul Kiczek

Walkability Adds to Home Value

This article in NY Times talks about a new 4th factor - walkability - in evaluating your home. The first 3 are of course, location, location, and location. "New urbanists" are advocating denser cities designed for pedestrians and mass transportation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/business/10everyContinue

Posted by Paul Kiczek on January 10, 2010 at 8:48pm

John Brennan

Summer of '62

Summer of '62

What made the year 1962 especially memorable for me was a hike I took with two fellow thirteen-year old school friends. Mind you, this was no ordinary jaunt, and no ordinary event. This was the notorious fifty-mile hike so famously endorsed by President Kennedy and his National Physical Fitness Program (aka Cold War Stress Reducer). Out of the way kissy Hush Puppies, I’m strapping on my Chuck Taylor All Stars for this job.
Traversing the boundaries of seven city limits, and back a… Continue

Posted by John Brennan on December 12, 2009 at 9:25pm — 1 Comment

Jim Smith

Grand Canyon Hike - June 16-21, 2009

Hiking the Grand Canyon, South Rim to North Rim and back to South Rim

I arrived at GC National Park Saturday 6/13 in the afternoon in my Nissan Versa (most uncomfortable driver's seat ever) rental car from Phoenix, and the rest of the day tended to making camp and getting supplies and waiting for my companions who arrived after dark. We set up camp, had a couple beers and went to sleep. Sunday and Monday we did the tourist stuff, sightseeing along the rim at different point… Continue

Posted by Jim Smith on June 28, 2009 at 12:00am — 1 Comment

Lynn Johnson

50 year anniversary?

At my 45 year high school reunion we reminisced about our fifty miler. Four of us finished, it was some time in the spring '63, we were juniors in high school. My time was 13:47 roughly (at my age, memory is difficult).

So now we are thinking - four years from now, how about a fiftieth anniversary 50 miler? We are quite old, but it would give us something to shoot for. And we have four years to prepare. I am to get new knees this December, and a few of my high school classmates are thinking of… Continue

Posted by Lynn Johnson on June 28, 2009 at 8:01pm — 2 Comments

Paul Kiczek

50-Miles in the Summer of '63

I've been searching my mind for exactly why four of us hiked from Roselle to Netcong, New Jersey (nearly 50 miles) when we were 15 years old. It was a heady time in America when a dynamic young president, JFK, challenged everyone (see The 50-Mile Hike Phenomenon). And, it seemed at that time that we, as individuals and as a nation, could meet those challenges. Of course, there's also a certain invincible attitude that… Continue

Posted by Paul Kiczek on December 9, 2008 at 10:30pm

Forum

greg nichols

50 miles 1963

Started by greg nichols Nov. 18, 2009.

Alison Kiczek

Have you heard of this book? 4 Replies

Started by Alison Kiczek. Last reply by Paul Kiczek Jan. 27, 2009.

Paul Kiczek

Should our leaders encourage physical fitness by setting standards? 5 Replies

Started by Paul Kiczek. Last reply by Paul Kiczek Dec. 12, 2008.

Latest Activity

2 blog posts by Paul Kiczek were featured
January 10
Paul Kiczek added a blog post
This article in NY Times talks about a new 4th factor - walkability - in evaluating your home. The first 3 are of course, location, location, and location. "New urbanists" are advocating denser cities designed for pedestrians and mass transportation…
January 10
A blog post by John Brennan was featured
Summer of '62 What made the year 1962 especially memorable for me was a hike I took with two fellow thirteen-year old school friends. Mind you, this was no ordinary jaunt, and no ordinary event. This was the notorious fifty-mile hike so famously en…
January 5
A blog post by Jim Smith was featured
Hiking the Grand Canyon, South Rim to North Rim and back to South Rim I arrived at GC National Park Saturday 6/13 in the afternoon in my Nissan Versa (most uncomfortable driver's seat ever) rental car from Phoenix, and the rest of the day tended to…
January 5
 
 
 

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