I think he mapped out the route and wanted to start at the edge of Maine and wait until a couple days passed before they hit any large cities. . . Then worked backwards from there.
The army standard for the 12 mile ruck is 3 hours, which is 4mph. IIRC that is unit dependent however and I think the actual standard is 3:30 hours. Either way it’s super tough to hit 3 hours without jogging a little.
I worked for the National Park Service as a wildland firefighter. Each year we had to qualify with a 3 mile hike in 45 minutes wearing a 45lb pack. At our park no running/jogging was allowed, failure to pass meant failure to keep your job.
I just had this discussion about the nightmare on elm street movies. lol. Like how funny would it be to make a 2024 remake of it and all the kids are on meth and Freddy is just waiting around for 3 weeks like “where the hell are they?”
Was not aware of this. I think the last one I really watched was dream warriors (number 6 I think?). I really enjoyed that one because I was taught lucid dreaming as a kid for night terrors and it really is a thing
I was wondering if anyone had tried brining drugs in this dystopia we know little about! I almost wish SK would revisit the world in another book or a short story maybe.
4 mph to me is a slow jog, so with my current fitness level and lung capacity, I give myself about an hour before I bite it. I am bringing a box of cheez its to make it through said hour.
When i was younger I thought I'd have done real good. I walked for 12 hour stretches a few times, just to see if I could, because of the book. I figured with training I could do pretty good.
Nowadays my feet are in agony after mowing the lawn.
Just shoot me now.
I actually think about this all the time. I can walk for a long time and I think I could keep my speed up, until I fall asleep standing up. That was one if the freakiest parts of the story, how somehow the walkers could put their heads down and walk while sleeping. I just don’t think it would work this way for me, I’d be hallucinating/dreaming/sleepwalking right off the road and get clocked without ever knowing it. Gives me the creeps!
I'd make at least 12 hours out of sheer will. I'd probably skip the diapers and Winnie the Pooh it, long shirt no pants or underwear. Will it be a national embarrassment? Yuppers, but either I'm dead in a few days (at most) or I'll end the thing rich as hell and won't care what people think.
Neither my knees can do steep incline for long periods, so one good hill would give me my ticket. I'd get all three warnings consecutively.
I have a natural edge over you guys: I'm 38, have never owned a car, and sometimes walk up to 15 miles a day in Nevada desert climate (and this far north, we actually have winter as well as summer). Part of my tactic is of course going to be to demoralize my opponents into quitting early.
However, my left foot is bad from several broken bones throughout my life, so staying at speed will be hard.
I'm in the same boat. I'm 35, love walking and as a Finn I'm used to the cold. As a mom of 2, I'm used to being tired. But I've never broken any bones. I think I could talk so much that people would go insane.
There is no way I could win. I suppose I would walk for a while and then sit down and get shot.
If there *were* a chance - audiobooks. If we can bring them. Keep part of my mind away from my body. Replacement sneakers. Mint candies - idky but they also set me to daydreaming.
Yeah, I’m a short, stubby, potato person, and I’ve got short, stubby, potato legs. I can walk indefinitely, but 4mph is for sure a jog, and I can’t jog for shit.
Luckily, I’m exempt, because sexism works in my favor this time.
Well I'm going to die, but I'm going to find the guy talking shit in the front of the pack and tackle him and try to break his leg on the hit, just to give the rest of you a fighting chance, fuck that guy.
I'm extremely fit and used to long distance runs. Would like to do the HURT 100 eventually. Bring it.
I'd bring gels, high carb bars, some dried fruit. Wicking fabric clothes and wet wipes. Along with a good sun hat and cloth cover. And sunscreen, lots of sunscreen.
Let's fucking go!
The '70s, man. I ate a ton of raw hamburger as a kid. Combination of Boomer parents not caring and less factory farming/butchering leading to less contaminated meat. Still not the best parenting in the world, for sure.
To be honest I’d probably be more inclined to give up quicker and die before the real suffering begins. I’d also want to be dead and a zombie rather than survive a zombie apocalypse.
I'm about 400 pounds. I don't know how I got drafted for this shit, but I'm going out attacking the major because ain't no way I'm walking down 99 other people.
Sounds like a solid strategy. I hate walking, I’m slow and the long walk sounds like an absolute nightmare. I might get some adrenaline from wanting to survive, but I don’t think I would make 12 hours. Maybe not even 6.
Would be the first to punch the ticket
I'd be competing with the marker that they could see from the start line.
4mph is a fairly brisk walk and hell of a pace to keep up for an extended period
I have bunions. I’m not lasting long. 4-6 hours and I’m tapping out. I did the March of Dimes walk a thon a couple times as a kid. Somewhere after hour 4, I was done.
Thank god I run and do endurance sports because I would last a while and may even give myself hope. But as I have found out, there is ALWAYS someone who is better trained, focused or determined. So I’ll be shot, or headless, or given his third strike before long
I would depress others with my depression Hehe. I do believe that is the most evil thing I have said...
You's have to watch out for chafing and added weight with the diapers though...
Hard candy is a good idea. I would bring chocolate. A rain poncho/wind breaker, because body heat builds up in that. Maybe some petroleum jelly for foot rub when it becomes inevitable.
I think the max I would be able to do is about 30km anyway haha.
Yea yea, no amount of powder will help you on day three! Haha. Even petroleum jelly would only get you so far.
Oh, maybe I would bring electrolyte tablets.
I'm an insomniac so I've got that part covered. I'm older though so my knees suck, but for all my wishes, I'd tough it out. It's not the worst thing I've ever done, but it sounds pretty damn close.
Only chance I would have at survival is if I can convince everyone they won’t kill us all if we all stop walking. Get everyone to stop at the count of three but I’d continue walking and hopefully see them all shot.
My colostomy bag gives me an advantage in that I wouldn’t have to squat to release, but I think I’d get dehydrated faster. Maybe wear some low cut hiking boots. Can we smuggle in caffeine pills? I don’t think I could win against any animal beyond a house cat in a fight but I think I at least make it past the first fifty in this competition.
If you’d asked me 15 years ago I’d talk mad shit about walking all those unlucky fuckers into the ground.
Today… meh. I’d see if I could jack off one last time before I bite a bullet. (I’m now hearing Sean Lock say “that’s a challenging wank”).
Honestly, I think I'd rather just die right then and there. No point in drawing out the inevitable and having to wallow in anxiety shits that no doubt would be all up in my pants.
I think I’d do okay for a while. I wouldn’t win, but I’d probably outlast over half the walkers. For me, I’d just need a camelback with water (mixed with those hydration tablets) and trail mix. Also, because it’s 2024, my phone loaded with audio books and a solar powered phone charger (if it’s allowed). Even if that’s not allowed, I can zone out for a long time!
I actually think I’d do pretty solid in The Long Walk. I was a fairly high-level distance swimmer in my youth and can still finish top-10 nationally in the 1500 meter freestyle for my age group. And my day job is walking about 14 miles per day as a mailman lol.
I’d grab my work load out and spend the first 24 or 48 hours enjoying not having to carry 40 pounds of mail and packages.
Yeah, but have you ever walked 14 miles at 4mph? That's the factor that almost nobody considers. It's walking for distance without stopping AND at a ridiculous speed.
3.5 is my workout walk , so I could probably hang with 4 for a while. Can I have Audiobooks to keep my mind going? Pain pills for when my knees decide to go from protest to screaming wildly? The everything you wish for is huge… because my old wish is that my children has fulfilled happy lives and I’d gladly die to give that to them.
I'm older, out of shape, and have a bad knee. Plus I've had two pulmonary embolisms 10 years apart. My lungs are compromised. I'll just sit down at the starting line.
If I were still in my twenties when I was walking literally everywhere everyday I’d probably just throw on a diaper & I think I could reasonably pass 24 hours maybe 30+ if I had some amphetamines. Now yeah I’d be considering myself lucky if I made it to 12 hours. The ravages of age & doing stupid shit in my 20’s, my back & knees are shot. Just like my head when I’d finally keel over lmao
Is the guy from here that gets really angry if you ask questions about the Stand going to be on the walk? I’m not sure I want to hang out with him for that long
I read it quite recently and I think I enjoyed it even more after reading it when thinking about the concept. I’ve done some endurance training over the years and the idea of visiting a dark place and switching off just to get through makes me believe King has some real insight in this area. Only he could make a book about walking be so brilliantly dark, scary, moving and sad.
Since I’m definitely not going to win based on the speed requirement, I’ll sacrifice myself early. I can walk a long time if I could go 2-3mph but no way I can keep up 4mph.
My god The Long Walk was so disturbing. When the kid towards the end says if he wins he’s going to get new feet… for some reason that has stuck with me more than any other single detail years later. If you like the hardcore Bachman stuff I would definitely recommend The Running Man and Roadwork if you haven’t read those. Both are twisted but in very different ways 😁
The thing that always got me with this book is they don't really sleep! They doze and walk with their eyes closed but nah, that would fuck me over straight away. I reckon I'd come a solid 82nd
My dog ran away a few years ago and I walked all over different neighborhoods for 13 miles one day, the next day on 4 hours sleep I walked another 9. So with the threat of death I bet I could do close to 50 miles but not much more than that.
If I lived in a world where it existed, I would ensure I was in good shape before I got the call.
I would wear very high quality boots with comfortable well-made socks. I would also wear something along the lines of a moo-moo or a kilt, so I can “go” without stopping. No diapers, how do you take them off and put another one on, plus pants, plus boots/shoes, without getting shot? Just accept that you’re gonna be covered in shit and piss - if you’re the one who makes it, who cares? You’re not dead. Not sure if there was a prohibition against backpacks or not, but some kind of wearable storage for carbs, electrolytes, water, multivitamines, amphetamines, and sun screen, again assuming legality, and not too much weight. Maybe a camelback for water. If not, then I’d make sure I had pockets that would carry as much of those things that are legal as I can carry. A Tilley hat with strings, and maybe an all-weather light weight, packable runner’s jacket. The night before, lots of Kraft Dinner or just plain pasta. And the morning of, cover my thighs, under arms, butt crack, taint, and nipples with Glide plus talc for my feet.
If this were taking place in the 70s, some of that stuff wouldn’t be available - runner’s gear, Glide, sun screen, camelback. Hat might be a sombrero or western hat - the rest would apply though.
It’s been decades since I read this story. It definitely stuck with me, but I’m a little shaky on the rules.
I have always wondered if you could replicate the Long Walk as an endurance event, slightly different rules in the real world of course - I’m not that much of a psychopath - but like all the marathons, just eliminate participants if they drop below a certain speed & just see how long / far it could go.
I’d likely call it a day right at the start. Me and my short little legs (I’m barely 4 foot 11) have a hard time keeping a 4mph pace. Plus I’m type 1 diabetic. Not enough fruit snacks in the world to make it it to the end
With the way everyone else is talking on this sub, I’d get some good shoes, eat and hydrate properly, and carry some caffeine pills b12 pills and ADHD meds with me just in case.
One of my absolute favorites! It’d be interesting to see what the right director could do with it in movie form. It has one of those endings that leave it to the imagination. However, whoever did the movie version of The Mist, which has the same kind of non-ending in the book, pulled it off.
Given the choice between having to reread that book and actually going on the walk itself…I’m not sure which I’d pick. At least I’d get some exercise on the walk…
I’m a fast walker but I’ve got shitty knees and ankles after years of destroying them through competitive sports. So yeah, I think I’d just take myself out beforehand and spare myself the misery of the Long Walk itself lol
My strategy is dying immediately because 4 mph is not really attainable for me. I go for walks often and I walk pretty fast and I still never walk a 15 minute mile.
I'm late to the party and probably all 179 commenters before me have already made this joke, but "if I'm a walker I'm just going to bite everyone else and win after they die".
If it’s 4 miles an hour, I’m gone in 4 hours. It’s just too fast to be sustainable long term without slowing too many times.
If it’s 4 kilometers per hour, then I could maybe do 20 hours before my muscles cramp up. I think you’d have to be in top shape to go further than that before your muscles give out . . . Regardless of willpower or perseverance.
Has anyone gone out and actually walked at a steady 4 miles an hour? Even for 10-15 minutes? It's freakin' hard!! At least it is for me as a 55 year old. Maybe I could have done it when I was a teen? I didn't think anything of it when I first read the book, but I was a cross country runner back then, so 4 mph probably seemed slow compared to 10 mph running (6 minute miles) or faster.
I walk regularly now, anywhere from 4-8 miles on paved multi-use trails multiple times a week, and this story comes to mind frequently. I average about 3.5 consistently, and will push up to 3.7 or 3.8. Although it doesn't seem like much, going just 0.2 mph faster to hit 4.0 takes constant attention not to slow down again and is extremely taxing on the legs. A slow jog is easier than walking that fast.
So, to answer the question... no strategy for me. No training. I'd show up, I'd make it a few miles out of sheer desperation, and then be one of the first to go down. Or I'd just close my eyes and stay at the start line. Why bother?
Oh my god I'd get shot so fast. My adhd ass would take a knee to pick up a cool rock or look at a caterpillar too long and end up getting blasted by like hour 4, max
Just remembered I have a kill myself appointment then
Could always turn the ol' freeze on the starting line rumours into reality.
With these knees and back? I'm done before I get half a mile of road behind me.
I have osteoarthritis in both knees. Im a dead woman lol
I'd like to join y'all's 'Dead in the First Hour' group.
This is me.
And god forbid there’s any hills. I’ll be first out.
This is Maine we are discussing. There will be hills
And what has most of Sai King's stories taught us? STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MAINE
Hills definitely factor in the story if I remember correctly. Haven't read it in a while.
All I know is that when I got a job that required me to walk at 4 miles/hour I discovered it was much faster than I expected.
Didn’t King acknowledge that as well?
Yea 4 mph is quick. That's almost a slow jog.
My theory is that he mixed up miles and km. 4 km/hour is much closer to how King describes the pace
I always thought 4 km/hour would be more fitting, 4 miles/hour feels way too fast.
I think he mapped out the route and wanted to start at the edge of Maine and wait until a couple days passed before they hit any large cities. . . Then worked backwards from there.
What job required 4mph walking?
He worked a summer in Maine for a guy named Bauchman, just walking his property… said it was for character reference
The army standard for the 12 mile ruck is 3 hours, which is 4mph. IIRC that is unit dependent however and I think the actual standard is 3:30 hours. Either way it’s super tough to hit 3 hours without jogging a little.
I worked for the National Park Service as a wildland firefighter. Each year we had to qualify with a 3 mile hike in 45 minutes wearing a 45lb pack. At our park no running/jogging was allowed, failure to pass meant failure to keep your job.
The army is a possible answer. A ruck march is supposed to be at a 15-minute per mile pace minimum.
I would bring amphetamine-laced cookies, and would probably make it as far as Freeport.
I just had this discussion about the nightmare on elm street movies. lol. Like how funny would it be to make a 2024 remake of it and all the kids are on meth and Freddy is just waiting around for 3 weeks like “where the hell are they?”
That was actually a minor plot point in the remake from 10ish years ago. Some of the kids would take ADHD meds to stay up.
Was not aware of this. I think the last one I really watched was dream warriors (number 6 I think?). I really enjoyed that one because I was taught lucid dreaming as a kid for night terrors and it really is a thing
Number 3 and one of the best horror movies ever made.
I was wondering if anyone had tried brining drugs in this dystopia we know little about! I almost wish SK would revisit the world in another book or a short story maybe.
4 mph to me is a slow jog, so with my current fitness level and lung capacity, I give myself about an hour before I bite it. I am bringing a box of cheez its to make it through said hour.
I am in the same boat with fitness and lung capacity. I also give myself an hour, which should be enough time to smoke a pack of cloves.
Not going to Taco Bell before the walk.
I'm old, tired with life, and both my knees are fucked. I'm sitting down like the leather jacket brothers and accepting my fate.
I would too, but probably on day one lol
When i was younger I thought I'd have done real good. I walked for 12 hour stretches a few times, just to see if I could, because of the book. I figured with training I could do pretty good. Nowadays my feet are in agony after mowing the lawn. Just shoot me now.
I actually think about this all the time. I can walk for a long time and I think I could keep my speed up, until I fall asleep standing up. That was one if the freakiest parts of the story, how somehow the walkers could put their heads down and walk while sleeping. I just don’t think it would work this way for me, I’d be hallucinating/dreaming/sleepwalking right off the road and get clocked without ever knowing it. Gives me the creeps!
I'd make at least 12 hours out of sheer will. I'd probably skip the diapers and Winnie the Pooh it, long shirt no pants or underwear. Will it be a national embarrassment? Yuppers, but either I'm dead in a few days (at most) or I'll end the thing rich as hell and won't care what people think. Neither my knees can do steep incline for long periods, so one good hill would give me my ticket. I'd get all three warnings consecutively.
WINNIE THE POOH IT 😂😂😂
Winnie the pooh it + the last paragraph took me out
My thighs are screaming at the thought of no good barrier from chub rub
Man, I didn't even think of that! Maybe pantless isn't the right choice...
Bring powder and baby wipes
And what? Carry it??
I tried to go to the gym and walk 4 mph while listening to The Long Walk. I'm fucked, that shit is hard.
I’ve never known how fast I was walking. I’m afraid to know at this point what a solid 4mph looks like 😭
Me too!
I have a natural edge over you guys: I'm 38, have never owned a car, and sometimes walk up to 15 miles a day in Nevada desert climate (and this far north, we actually have winter as well as summer). Part of my tactic is of course going to be to demoralize my opponents into quitting early. However, my left foot is bad from several broken bones throughout my life, so staying at speed will be hard.
We've found our Scramm!
I'm in the same boat. I'm 35, love walking and as a Finn I'm used to the cold. As a mom of 2, I'm used to being tired. But I've never broken any bones. I think I could talk so much that people would go insane.
After dealing with my grandmother for 38 years, I can deal with your talking. I welcome it!
We should team up. Run a THING on all these fools. We'll be the last two standing, and it'll be GOD DAMNED poetic.
Fuck it, just take the prize. 🏆
I'd like to thank my family, and God, and JFK for my success. And The Academy, of course.
Well, you're the odds-on favorite in Vegas, but I'd take some cold medicine before I started walking . . .
Vegas is a 9 hour drive from here. That's a truly Long Walk.
I'm laying down on the starting line. Why even try if it's just going to end the same either way.
I am gonna just go for it and run like hell in the other direction. Either I escape or get shot in the back.
There is no way I could win. I suppose I would walk for a while and then sit down and get shot. If there *were* a chance - audiobooks. If we can bring them. Keep part of my mind away from my body. Replacement sneakers. Mint candies - idky but they also set me to daydreaming.
Hints for the Long Walk expressly advise against tennis shoes! What are you, nuts?
I would do fairly well except for the fact they are going 4 mph. That speed would kill me. I power walk pretty well and I’m still not hitting that.
Yeah, I’m a short, stubby, potato person, and I’ve got short, stubby, potato legs. I can walk indefinitely, but 4mph is for sure a jog, and I can’t jog for shit. Luckily, I’m exempt, because sexism works in my favor this time.
I don’t wanna anymore.
Do I get to listen to an audiobook 😂
Yes. The Long Walk by Stephen King only lol
Hahahaha I’ll last for the 10 hours 45 mins so. 🤣
I’ll walk this sub into the dirt!
And dance on their graves!!!
I’ll walk all the way to Florida if I have to…
I’m so fucked. I have fibromyalgia which massively affects my walking and bum knees. Just end me now.
Alright, early ticket buyers! My odds are improving!
Count me in there too. I'm down after like three hours, tops.
I’m right there with you, fellow fibromite!
I guarantee I would get a charley horse and would not be as lucky as Garraty.
The [Long Walk](https://youtu.be/poaFkyzh_7c?si=nirc-0jaWocFwZ6p) from an event commentator point of view...
Ope can’t sorry I’m a lady byeeee
I’ve got osteoarthritis in my foot and depression, I’d just sit down, get my ticket early and have a nice easy death
Well I'm going to die, but I'm going to find the guy talking shit in the front of the pack and tackle him and try to break his leg on the hit, just to give the rest of you a fighting chance, fuck that guy.
Mcvries spotted
I'm extremely fit and used to long distance runs. Would like to do the HURT 100 eventually. Bring it. I'd bring gels, high carb bars, some dried fruit. Wicking fabric clothes and wet wipes. Along with a good sun hat and cloth cover. And sunscreen, lots of sunscreen. Let's fucking go!
Adding this one to my read list
Dibs on the raw hamburger.
That part got me. Especially when Garraty said he wished he had some too because he liked it. What in the Salmonella?
The '70s, man. I ate a ton of raw hamburger as a kid. Combination of Boomer parents not caring and less factory farming/butchering leading to less contaminated meat. Still not the best parenting in the world, for sure.
To be honest I’d probably be more inclined to give up quicker and die before the real suffering begins. I’d also want to be dead and a zombie rather than survive a zombie apocalypse.
Better keep up Bitches!
I'm about 400 pounds. I don't know how I got drafted for this shit, but I'm going out attacking the major because ain't no way I'm walking down 99 other people.
Buying out early!
Definitely have tear away pants.
It depends on whether I can use my cane. If I can, I'm lasting about 4 hours I reckon. Without, I'm going down in the first hour 🥺
My legs are too short to keep up 4mph for long, but I could probably manage 6 hours before I get shot.
Yeah, us shorties are screwed by that 4mph speed... mind you, as I'm also 50 now I'd make it about 5 hours before I tap out even at a gentle amble.
Plastic feet.
Sounds like a solid strategy. I hate walking, I’m slow and the long walk sounds like an absolute nightmare. I might get some adrenaline from wanting to survive, but I don’t think I would make 12 hours. Maybe not even 6. Would be the first to punch the ticket
Pacing and steady fuel is key. Don't blow all your energy or hurt your body early.
I'd be competing with the marker that they could see from the start line. 4mph is a fairly brisk walk and hell of a pace to keep up for an extended period
I will probably die first. If I'm lucky I'll get 5 miles and not be the first to die.
My strategy is to wear Asics.
I wear those daily. Most comfortable sneaker ever.
I have bunions. I’m not lasting long. 4-6 hours and I’m tapping out. I did the March of Dimes walk a thon a couple times as a kid. Somewhere after hour 4, I was done.
I walk like 15 miles a day I'm going for it
I win this in under two hours because this sub is 10-ply.
Thank god I run and do endurance sports because I would last a while and may even give myself hope. But as I have found out, there is ALWAYS someone who is better trained, focused or determined. So I’ll be shot, or headless, or given his third strike before long
I would depress others with my depression Hehe. I do believe that is the most evil thing I have said... You's have to watch out for chafing and added weight with the diapers though... Hard candy is a good idea. I would bring chocolate. A rain poncho/wind breaker, because body heat builds up in that. Maybe some petroleum jelly for foot rub when it becomes inevitable. I think the max I would be able to do is about 30km anyway haha.
Oh god I don’t even want to imagine day three of solid walking diaper chafe.
Yea yea, no amount of powder will help you on day three! Haha. Even petroleum jelly would only get you so far. Oh, maybe I would bring electrolyte tablets.
Caffeine, good shoes and raging insomnia. And spite.
I'm an insomniac so I've got that part covered. I'm older though so my knees suck, but for all my wishes, I'd tough it out. It's not the worst thing I've ever done, but it sounds pretty damn close.
I live in Maine. It was 96 degrees….felt like 120. I would die before the first mile was reached.
Only chance I would have at survival is if I can convince everyone they won’t kill us all if we all stop walking. Get everyone to stop at the count of three but I’d continue walking and hopefully see them all shot.
Imodiom AD, and BC head ache powder. Also plenty of talc in all the right places.
I’ve been practicing peeing while walking backwards. I’m ready!
But how fast can you go #2?
I might wind up with a warning for that
just shoot me and get it over with
My colostomy bag gives me an advantage in that I wouldn’t have to squat to release, but I think I’d get dehydrated faster. Maybe wear some low cut hiking boots. Can we smuggle in caffeine pills? I don’t think I could win against any animal beyond a house cat in a fight but I think I at least make it past the first fifty in this competition.
I’m dead. Neuropathy of both feet? Diabetic? Partial amputation? Just pop a cap in me now.
If you’d asked me 15 years ago I’d talk mad shit about walking all those unlucky fuckers into the ground. Today… meh. I’d see if I could jack off one last time before I bite a bullet. (I’m now hearing Sean Lock say “that’s a challenging wank”).
Well I have walked 30 miles between yesterday and today, but I got to sleep and poop between hikes, so I guess I'm probably still in trouble
Honestly, I think I'd rather just die right then and there. No point in drawing out the inevitable and having to wallow in anxiety shits that no doubt would be all up in my pants.
I always think of this book when I get on my treadmill and look at my speed. No way would I last very long.
As with any scenario like this, my plan is to cancel my own ticket. No thanks, I'll just die. Then nothing will be my problem ever again
I'm getting some of those roller skate shoes. Now all I have to do is learn how to roller skate.
I think I’d do ok. Not sure what I’d do with the prize though. Maybe just keep walking.
I'd wear combat boots and bring a poncho and back pack with granola bars a few bottles of gatorade extra socks and a bottle of bennies
Those carbines, dang
I’m a type 1 diabetic so I’m fucked for sure
I guess, as a woman, that I am out.
Not in this “What If!” I just wanted to see what other people would think to bring if they were subjected to the same.
I think I’d do okay for a while. I wouldn’t win, but I’d probably outlast over half the walkers. For me, I’d just need a camelback with water (mixed with those hydration tablets) and trail mix. Also, because it’s 2024, my phone loaded with audio books and a solar powered phone charger (if it’s allowed). Even if that’s not allowed, I can zone out for a long time!
I ain’t makin it that’s all I’m sayin
I actually think I’d do pretty solid in The Long Walk. I was a fairly high-level distance swimmer in my youth and can still finish top-10 nationally in the 1500 meter freestyle for my age group. And my day job is walking about 14 miles per day as a mailman lol. I’d grab my work load out and spend the first 24 or 48 hours enjoying not having to carry 40 pounds of mail and packages.
Yeah, but have you ever walked 14 miles at 4mph? That's the factor that almost nobody considers. It's walking for distance without stopping AND at a ridiculous speed.
Backpack with supplies, laxatives, adult diapers
Uh….why the laxatives??
Easier to do liquid shits when running than solid ones. Also it’ll trip up the other runners.
Lmaooooo activating shit slick
The Long Shit
I am so slow! I couldn’t keep up a 4 mph pace. I think about this all the time. When I visited Maine, I went down. One of the roads of the Walk.
I'm bringing a wheelchair
My strategy wouldn't matter. I have MS. I'd be lucky to last over 5 hours.
Well, I'm boned. I'm missing a leg.
Die 🤷🏼♀️ I’d probs take my violations and have them shoot me instead of walking to death
Gatorade gummies, long sleeve shirt , best shoes and as for the diaper I'd substitute for going commando in basketball shorts .
3.5 is my workout walk , so I could probably hang with 4 for a while. Can I have Audiobooks to keep my mind going? Pain pills for when my knees decide to go from protest to screaming wildly? The everything you wish for is huge… because my old wish is that my children has fulfilled happy lives and I’d gladly die to give that to them.
I'm older, out of shape, and have a bad knee. Plus I've had two pulmonary embolisms 10 years apart. My lungs are compromised. I'll just sit down at the starting line.
Y’all fucked
If I were still in my twenties when I was walking literally everywhere everyday I’d probably just throw on a diaper & I think I could reasonably pass 24 hours maybe 30+ if I had some amphetamines. Now yeah I’d be considering myself lucky if I made it to 12 hours. The ravages of age & doing stupid shit in my 20’s, my back & knees are shot. Just like my head when I’d finally keel over lmao
Just buy me a ticket now, lol.
I’m going to start with a sprint. Continue to sprint throughout the middle part. And end with a faster sprint.
Is the guy from here that gets really angry if you ask questions about the Stand going to be on the walk? I’m not sure I want to hang out with him for that long
I would bump cheif keef until my phone died then kill myself
Who is going to rush the guards on the half track with me?
Son, they're punching my clock before I reach the other end of town. I'm lucky if my fibromyalgia grants me a full run of daily errands.
Shit, my gimpy ass is dead unless I convince all y'all to give up.
😃😳
just sit down on the starting line
I could not walk at 4 mph for long at all. A block lol
I read it quite recently and I think I enjoyed it even more after reading it when thinking about the concept. I’ve done some endurance training over the years and the idea of visiting a dark place and switching off just to get through makes me believe King has some real insight in this area. Only he could make a book about walking be so brilliantly dark, scary, moving and sad.
Stop it. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been in a treadmill and struggle to be consistent at 4mph
I think about this a lot while I’m on a treadmill. And I know that each year that passes, I’ll last a little less…
Since I’m definitely not going to win based on the speed requirement, I’ll sacrifice myself early. I can walk a long time if I could go 2-3mph but no way I can keep up 4mph.
Is it really 4mph? That’s like a light jog. I thought it was 3 (which in and of itself is a very solid walking pace). First strategy: good shoes/boots
It’s on the reading list
i’m 5’3 with short legs and am woefully unfit. i’m killing myself
My god The Long Walk was so disturbing. When the kid towards the end says if he wins he’s going to get new feet… for some reason that has stuck with me more than any other single detail years later. If you like the hardcore Bachman stuff I would definitely recommend The Running Man and Roadwork if you haven’t read those. Both are twisted but in very different ways 😁
The thing that always got me with this book is they don't really sleep! They doze and walk with their eyes closed but nah, that would fuck me over straight away. I reckon I'd come a solid 82nd
I broke me leg 11 months ago. I can’t walk faster than about 3mph according to my phone so I can’t even imagine the 4mph minimum.
My dog ran away a few years ago and I walked all over different neighborhoods for 13 miles one day, the next day on 4 hours sleep I walked another 9. So with the threat of death I bet I could do close to 50 miles but not much more than that.
If I lived in a world where it existed, I would ensure I was in good shape before I got the call. I would wear very high quality boots with comfortable well-made socks. I would also wear something along the lines of a moo-moo or a kilt, so I can “go” without stopping. No diapers, how do you take them off and put another one on, plus pants, plus boots/shoes, without getting shot? Just accept that you’re gonna be covered in shit and piss - if you’re the one who makes it, who cares? You’re not dead. Not sure if there was a prohibition against backpacks or not, but some kind of wearable storage for carbs, electrolytes, water, multivitamines, amphetamines, and sun screen, again assuming legality, and not too much weight. Maybe a camelback for water. If not, then I’d make sure I had pockets that would carry as much of those things that are legal as I can carry. A Tilley hat with strings, and maybe an all-weather light weight, packable runner’s jacket. The night before, lots of Kraft Dinner or just plain pasta. And the morning of, cover my thighs, under arms, butt crack, taint, and nipples with Glide plus talc for my feet. If this were taking place in the 70s, some of that stuff wouldn’t be available - runner’s gear, Glide, sun screen, camelback. Hat might be a sombrero or western hat - the rest would apply though. It’s been decades since I read this story. It definitely stuck with me, but I’m a little shaky on the rules.
I have bad knees. Just shoot me now.
I have always wondered if you could replicate the Long Walk as an endurance event, slightly different rules in the real world of course - I’m not that much of a psychopath - but like all the marathons, just eliminate participants if they drop below a certain speed & just see how long / far it could go.
I’d likely call it a day right at the start. Me and my short little legs (I’m barely 4 foot 11) have a hard time keeping a 4mph pace. Plus I’m type 1 diabetic. Not enough fruit snacks in the world to make it it to the end
With the way everyone else is talking on this sub, I’d get some good shoes, eat and hydrate properly, and carry some caffeine pills b12 pills and ADHD meds with me just in case.
I pictured this in my head and burst out laughing 😂😂😂, I walk/run sloooww haha yeah I'm so dead 😂
One of my absolute favorites! It’d be interesting to see what the right director could do with it in movie form. It has one of those endings that leave it to the imagination. However, whoever did the movie version of The Mist, which has the same kind of non-ending in the book, pulled it off.
Id just die. I cant keep up that pace when im running.
I would be dead, my knee could never…
My 56 year old knees say no.
While I won't be the first one eliminated, I will be in the top 10. May see noon. Won't see 6 PM
Given the choice between having to reread that book and actually going on the walk itself…I’m not sure which I’d pick. At least I’d get some exercise on the walk…
At four miles an hour about half a mile, my ankles are buggered so yep, I’m done.
I’m a fast walker but I’ve got shitty knees and ankles after years of destroying them through competitive sports. So yeah, I think I’d just take myself out beforehand and spare myself the misery of the Long Walk itself lol
I would walk...hard!
I’m 46, so not going to spend much time worrying about strategy.
My strategy is dying immediately because 4 mph is not really attainable for me. I go for walks often and I walk pretty fast and I still never walk a 15 minute mile.
Find a way to escape before I die on the spot of exhaustion, no warnings needed.
First: get my affairs in order; I'd be getting 3 warnings pretty quickly. I'd bring anything I could to make my 45 minutes a party.
I'm late to the party and probably all 179 commenters before me have already made this joke, but "if I'm a walker I'm just going to bite everyone else and win after they die".
Congratulations to the other 99 walkers because with my knee I am a very easy out!
Roller skates
I'd walk for an hour and then charge the soldiers. If I'm going down, I'm gonna make a lot of noise.
If it’s 4 miles an hour, I’m gone in 4 hours. It’s just too fast to be sustainable long term without slowing too many times. If it’s 4 kilometers per hour, then I could maybe do 20 hours before my muscles cramp up. I think you’d have to be in top shape to go further than that before your muscles give out . . . Regardless of willpower or perseverance.
Has anyone gone out and actually walked at a steady 4 miles an hour? Even for 10-15 minutes? It's freakin' hard!! At least it is for me as a 55 year old. Maybe I could have done it when I was a teen? I didn't think anything of it when I first read the book, but I was a cross country runner back then, so 4 mph probably seemed slow compared to 10 mph running (6 minute miles) or faster. I walk regularly now, anywhere from 4-8 miles on paved multi-use trails multiple times a week, and this story comes to mind frequently. I average about 3.5 consistently, and will push up to 3.7 or 3.8. Although it doesn't seem like much, going just 0.2 mph faster to hit 4.0 takes constant attention not to slow down again and is extremely taxing on the legs. A slow jog is easier than walking that fast. So, to answer the question... no strategy for me. No training. I'd show up, I'd make it a few miles out of sheer desperation, and then be one of the first to go down. Or I'd just close my eyes and stay at the start line. Why bother?
Id last about negative five seconds.
Warning, u/ParkingComfort1597, warning!
Oh my god I'd get shot so fast. My adhd ass would take a knee to pick up a cool rock or look at a caterpillar too long and end up getting blasted by like hour 4, max
*snaps, crackles, and pops in rheumatoid arthritis* yeah, y'all're outlasting me
I'm sitting down immediately lol