At the start of 1963, Kennedy discovered Roosevelt’s 1908 order establishing the 50-mile march for officers. He sent it to Marine Commandant David M. Shoup, noting that the leathernecks of the time had been able to complete the trek within 20 hours on a single day, and asking if “the strength and stamina of the modern Marine is at least equivalent to that of his antecedents.” If Shoup would look into that question, Kennedy promised, he would see if members of his own White House staff were up to the task as well.
Before Shoup could make plans to test his Marines, the president’s brother and the country’s Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy, decided to jump right into the challenge himself.
On February 9th, without any training or preparation and wearing leather oxford dress shoes, RFK set out at 5 o’clock in the morning to walk 50 miles along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath. Accompanied by four of his staff members, as well as his dog Brumis, he trudged through snow, slush, and below-freezing temperatures, making his way from Great Falls, VA to Camp David, MD. Though the last of his aides dropped out at the 35-mile mark, Kennedy persisted to the end, completing the march in 17 hours and 50 minutes. — Take the TR/JFK 50-Mile Challenge
Does this sound like fun? It became a bit of a craze, although it was never recommended as a benchmark for everyone. Still, groups all over the country organized 50-mile walks, aiming for the Marine goal time of under 20 hours (but not wearing a standard Marine backpack). The Kennedy March has appealed to people in the UK and Europe as well, with various events organized far from Maryland.
I’ll be honest, I don’t see myself doing 50 miles on the C&O Canal towpath in February, but the towpath is open all year, and is a wonderful place for hikes, walks, and bike rides. There are lots of entry points near the various towns along the route, some of which (like Kennedy’s stop, Harpers Ferry) are delightful destinations on their own.
Photos from Time Magazine, quoted from the “Take the TR/JFK 50-Mile Challenge” article.