A dedicated fitness enthusiast, Sam Culley, recently embarked on a rigorous endurance challenge to determine which of three fitness goals is the most difficult to achieve: walking 50,000 steps, covering 50 kilometers, or burning 5,000 calories in a single day. The British man began his experiment on the morning of March 15, 2024, setting out at 6 a.m. with the ambition to complete at least two of the three goals during his journey.
Sam’s motivation for the challenge stemmed from a combination of curiosity, a desire to push his physical limits, and the enjoyment of exploring personal endurance. Armed only with a head torch and a bag of nutritious snacks, he faced the challenge without the distraction of music, which he later noted made every step feel more pronounced.
As he progressed, the physical toll of the undertaking became evident. By the time he reached the 15-kilometer mark, fatigue began to set in. Despite this, he managed to maintain a steady pace, and by the time he reached the halfway point of his steps, he appeared to be in relatively good condition. However, he noted that the calorie burn was lagging significantly behind the other two metrics.
Upon reaching 25 kilometers, Sam experienced a minor setback when his tripod gave way, though he insisted that his legs remained strong. At the 30-kilometer checkpoint, he took a much-needed break to refuel with protein bars and crisps, as well as to change his socks to ensure his feet stayed in good shape.
The challenge intensified further around the 35-kilometer mark due to a sudden downpour, yet Sam persevered. His first significant victory came at approximately 41 kilometers, where he reached the milestone of 50,000 steps after nearly nine hours of walking. By the end of his journey, Sam had completed a total of 50 kilometers in a time of ten hours and nine minutes, accumulating a staggering 61,685 steps in the process.
Sam’s father joined him for the final stretch, providing encouragement and companionship. Upon completion, Sam calculated that he had burned a total of 4,746 calories, of which just over 3,000 were classified as active calories.
In evaluating the findings of his experiment, Sam concluded that achieving 50,000 steps was the least challenging of the three objectives. This conclusion aligns with the understanding that steps are a measure of foot movement rather than a direct distance metric. For the average person, 50,000 steps typically equate to approximately 35–40 kilometers depending on stride length, whereas 50 kilometers represents a fixed, longer distance that often requires closer to 65,000–70,000 steps to complete.
The calories burned during such an activity depend on numerous factors, including body weight, walking speed, and terrain. Generally, most individuals can expect to burn around 3,000 calories from walking 50,000 steps. Reaching the goal of 5,000 calories would necessitate a considerably longer walk, potentially exceeding 80,000 steps.
Sam Culley’s experiment highlights not only the physical demands of such endurance challenges but also serves as a fascinating inquiry into the metrics of fitness and the personal limits we can push ourselves to achieve.
