How Long Does It Take to Walk 20 Miles?

How long does it take to walk 20 miles? At a steady 3 mph, the moving time is 6 hours 40 minutes. A brisk 3.5 mph cuts that to about 5 hours 43 minutes, and an easy 2.5 mph stretches it to 8 hours. Add water stops, a lunch break, and a slower final stretch, and most people should plan on 7 to 8 hours door to door.

Twenty miles is about 32.2 km, roughly 40,000 to 48,000 steps, and a little over three quarters of a marathon. The pace math is simple. The hard part is the build-up, the fueling, and keeping your feet in one piece.

How Long Does It Take to Walk 20 Miles at Each Pace?

Moving time is distance divided by speed. Twenty divided by 3 is 6.67 hours, which is 6 hours 40 minutes. Every row below uses the same math.

Walking Speed	Pace (min/mile)	Moving Time for 20 Miles
2.0 mph (slow)	30:00	10 hours
2.5 mph (easy)	24:00	8 hours
3.0 mph (moderate)	20:00	6 hr 40 min
3.2 mph (average)	18:45	6 hr 15 min
3.5 mph (brisk)	17:09	5 hr 43 min
4.0 mph (fast)	15:00	5 hours
4.5 mph (very fast)	13:20	4 hr 27 min

Most adults walk around 3.0 to 3.5 mph on flat ground (see average walking pace). Holding that for 20 miles is harder: a pace that feels easy at mile 2 often slips by mile 16.

What about 5 mph? That is a 12-minute mile. For most people it is a jog, not a walk. Trained race walkers can hold it, but if you are planning a long walk, 4 mph is a realistic ceiling. If you mix in jogging on purpose, the walk-run method is the better plan.

On trails, use a slower number. The average hiking speed is about 2 mph once roots, rocks, and climbs enter the picture. At 2 mph, 20 miles is 10 hours of moving time before a single break.

Plug in your own pace with the Walking Time Calculator.

Total Time to Walk 20 Miles With Breaks

The pace table is moving time. Water refills, bathroom stops, sock changes, and snacks add up. Here are three break budgets:

Light (30 min total): a 10-minute stop at miles 5, 10, and 15
Typical (1 hour total): a 10-minute stop at miles 5 and 15, plus a 40-minute lunch at mile 10
Leisurely (90 min total): longer stops, a sit-down meal, more photos

Pace	Moving Time	+ Light Breaks	+ Typical Breaks	+ Leisurely Breaks
2.5 mph	8 hr	8 hr 30 min	9 hr	9 hr 30 min
3.0 mph	6 hr 40 min	7 hr 10 min	7 hr 40 min	8 hr 10 min
3.5 mph	5 hr 43 min	6 hr 13 min	6 hr 43 min	7 hr 13 min
4.0 mph	5 hr	5 hr 30 min	6 hr	6 hr 30 min

So the honest answer to how long does it take to walk 20 miles, for a normal walker at 3 mph with a lunch stop, is about 7 hours 40 minutes. In winter, that can be most of the daylight, so start early.

What Else Slows You Down

Hills and terrain. Climbs shorten your stride and slow your speed. Grass, sand, and gravel are slower than pavement.
A pack. A heavy pack slows most walkers and makes the last miles harder.
Heat and weather. Hot days push you to slow down and drink more. Wet days mean slick surfaces and wet socks. See walking in the rain for gear that keeps your feet drier.
Fatigue. Many walkers slow down in the final quarter, especially on a first 20-mile walk.

How Many Steps Is 20 Miles?

This site uses about 2,000 to 2,400 steps per mile for a typical walking stride. Twenty miles is therefore about 40,000 to 48,000 steps. An average adult lands near 40,000 to 44,000.

Walker	Steps per Mile	Steps in 20 Miles
Longer stride (taller)	~2,000	~40,000
Average adult	~2,000–2,200	~40,000–44,000
Shorter stride	~2,400	~48,000

That is four times a 10,000-step day. A tired stride gets shorter, so a real 20-mile walk often logs a few more steps than the table. The full breakdown by height is in how many steps in a mile, and the Step Distance Calculator gives you a personal number.

Calories Burned Walking 20 Miles

The estimate uses the MET method: MET × body weight (kg) × hours. MET values come from the MET values walking chart: 2.8 at 2.5 mph, 3.5 at 3.0 mph, and 4.3 at 3.5 mph. Time comes from the pace table: 8 hours, 6.67 hours, and 5.71 hours.

Body Weight	2.5 mph (8 hr)	3.0 mph (6 hr 40 min)	3.5 mph (5 hr 43 min)
125 lb (57 kg)	~1,280 kcal	~1,330 kcal	~1,400 kcal
155 lb (70 kg)	~1,570 kcal	~1,630 kcal	~1,720 kcal
185 lb (84 kg)	~1,880 kcal	~1,960 kcal	~2,060 kcal
215 lb (98 kg)	~2,200 kcal	~2,290 kcal	~2,410 kcal

Example: a 155 lb (70 kg) walker at 3 mph burns 3.5 × 70 × 6.67 ≈ 1,630 calories. These are gross estimates. They include the energy you would burn at rest over those hours, and they ignore hills and pack weight, which push the number higher. For your own numbers, use the Walking Calories Calculator. Faster walking burns a little more over the full distance, even though it takes less time.

How to Train to Walk 20 Miles

Twenty miles is not a week-1 goal. If you can already walk 10 miles without much soreness the next day, a 13-week build like the one below is a reasonable path. If 10 miles is still hard, start with the plan in how long does it take to walk 10 miles and come back here.

Week	Long Walk	Weekday Walks
1	10 miles	3 mi × 3 days
2	11 miles	3 mi × 3 days
3	12 miles	3–4 mi × 3 days
4	10 miles (easier week)	3 mi × 3 days
5	13 miles	4 mi × 3 days
6	14 miles	4 mi × 3 days
7	15 miles	4 mi × 3 days
8	12 miles (easier week)	3–4 mi × 3 days
9	16 miles	4–5 mi × 3 days
10	17 miles	4–5 mi × 3 days
11	18 miles	4–5 mi × 3 days
12	12 miles (taper)	3 mi × 3 days
13	20 miles	2–3 easy miles × 2 days

A few rules:

Add about 1 mile per week to the long walk. The final jump from 18 to 20 is the only bigger step, and it comes after a taper.
Take an easier week every few weeks. The plan drops back at weeks 4, 8, and 12 so your legs can catch up.
Rehearse everything. Use the long walks to test shoes, socks, food, and pace. Nothing new on the big day.
Walk with good form. Short, quick steps and relaxed shoulders waste less energy over 40,000 steps. Our guide to how to walk properly covers posture and foot strike.
Back off when something hurts. Sharp pain in the front of the lower leg can be shin splints from walking. Tight, aching calves are covered in calf pain when walking. Hold the long walk where it is until the pain settles.

Most of the long walk should feel easy enough to hold a conversation. Zone 2 walking explains why that effort level is the one to build on.

Fueling and Hydration for a 20-Mile Walk

At 6 to 8 hours, food and water are part of the plan, not an afterthought.

Before. Eat a normal, carb-forward breakfast 1 to 2 hours before you start. Oatmeal, toast, or a bagel with banana all work. Drink a glass or two of water.

During. Eat something small every hour or so. Aim for roughly 30 to 60 grams of carbs per hour: a banana, a granola bar, a handful of dried fruit, a sandwich at lunch. Waiting until you feel empty is too late.

Water. Sip regularly and drink when you are thirsty. On a long or hot day, add electrolytes, since plain water alone does not replace the sodium you sweat out. Know where you can refill before you start, or carry enough for the gaps. The Water Intake Calculator gives you a daily baseline to build on.

Preventing Blisters and Chafing on 20 Miles

On a 20-mile walk, feet usually quit before lungs do. Small problems at mile 6 become big ones by mile 16.

Blisters

Wear broken-in shoes you have already walked 12+ miles in. Many long-distance walkers go a half size up because feet swell over the day.
Use synthetic or wool socks. Cotton holds moisture, and moisture plus friction makes blisters.
Treat hot spots right away. The moment you feel rubbing, stop and tape it. Two minutes at mile 5 can save the last 10 miles.
Pack a spare pair of socks and change at halfway, especially if it rains.

Chafing

Use anti-chafe balm on inner thighs, underarms, and anywhere straps or seams rub.
Wear moisture-wicking clothes with flat seams. Avoid cotton here too.
Adjust your pack so it sits snug and does not bounce.

How Long Does It Take to Walk 15 Miles?

Fifteen miles is the usual stepping stone to 20. At 3 mph, 15 miles takes 5 hours of moving time. At 3.5 mph it is about 4 hours 17 minutes.

Walking Speed	Pace (min/mile)	Time for 15 Miles
2.5 mph	24:00	6 hours
3.0 mph	20:00	5 hours
3.5 mph	17:09	4 hr 17 min
4.0 mph	15:00	3 hr 45 min

With a light 30-minute break budget, a 3 mph walker finishes 15 miles in about 5 hours 30 minutes. Fifteen miles is about 30,000 to 36,000 steps at 2,000 to 2,400 steps per mile. A 155 lb (70 kg) walker at 3 mph burns roughly 3.5 × 70 × 5 = 1,225 calories. In the training plan above, 15 miles lands at week 7.

Can You Walk 20 Miles a Day?

Yes, once, if you have trained for it. Walking 20 miles a day, day after day, is a different question.

Long-distance trails and pilgrimage routes do include 20-mile days. But repeating that distance means 6 to 8 hours and 40,000+ steps every day, with little time to recover. Overuse problems like shin splints, sore calves, blisters, and achy knees tend to build up over several days, not on the first one.

If you are planning a multi-day trip:

Mix shorter days with longer ones. A shorter day after a long one gives your feet a break while you keep moving forward.
Train with back-to-back long walks. Two longer walks on consecutive weekend days teach your body to walk on tired legs.
Eat and sleep more. A daily burn of 1,500 to 2,000+ calories is hard to replace from snacks alone.
Take care of your feet every evening. Dry them, check for hot spots, and air out your shoes.

For more on daily high-mileage walking, see walking 10 miles a day and is 20,000 steps a day good.

How 20 Miles Compares to Other Distances

Distance	Moving Time at 3 mph	Approximate Steps
10 miles	3 hr 20 min	20,000–24,000
Half marathon (13.1 mi)	4 hr 22 min	26,000–31,000
15 miles	5 hr	30,000–36,000
20 miles	6 hr 40 min	40,000–48,000
Marathon (26.2 mi)	8 hr 44 min	52,000–63,000

Twenty miles is a common last long walk before a marathon walk. Race-distance details are in how many miles is a marathon and how many steps in a half marathon.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to walk 20 miles at a normal pace?

At a normal pace of 3 mph, walking 20 miles takes 6 hours 40 minutes of moving time. With water stops and a lunch break, plan on about 7 to 8 hours total.

How long does it take to walk 20 miles if I walk fast?

At a fast 4 mph (15-minute miles), 20 miles takes 5 hours of moving time. At 3.5 mph it takes about 5 hours 43 minutes. Few walkers hold 4 mph for the whole distance.

How many steps is walking 20 miles?

About 40,000 to 48,000 steps, using 2,000 to 2,400 steps per mile. An average adult lands near 40,000 to 44,000. Taller walkers take fewer steps.

How many calories do you burn walking 20 miles?

Roughly 1,300 to 2,400 calories, depending on body weight and pace. A 155 lb (70 kg) person walking at 3 mph burns about 1,630 calories using the MET method.

Can a beginner walk 20 miles?

Not safely on day one. Build to a comfortable 10 miles first, then add about a mile per week to your long walk. Most beginners need several months in total.

How long does it take to walk 20 miles on a trail?

At a typical hiking speed of 2 mph, 20 miles takes 10 hours of moving time, before breaks. Steep climbs, rocks, and a heavy pack can make it longer.

Track Every Mile of Your 20-Mile Walk

The build-up to 20 miles takes months. Seeing your long walk grow week by week makes the plan easier to follow.

Download Steps: Workout & Pedometer to log steps, distance, and calories from your iPhone and Apple Watch, set goals, and keep a record of every training walk on the way to 20 miles.

Ready to go the distance? Download Steps free on the App Store.

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How Long Does It Take to Walk 20 Miles? Pace Chart