John Merrill

John Merrill, from Derbyshire, England, is a marathon walker, [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/england/2691355.stm |title=Soap's Ken Barlow graduates |accessdate=2008-03-13 |work=BBC ] a profession which he can be said to have created,Fact|date=April 2008 and of which he remains a leading, if not the only, member. He is active in two areas: firstly undertaking extremely long walks, and secondly publishing book about walking, dealing with both his experiences and describing routes for readers to follow. In January 2003, he was made an Honorary Master of Derby University, for his walking and writing. [cite web |url=http://www.derby.ac.uk/press-office/news/honorary-degree-for-coronation-street-star |title=John Merrill - Honorary Master of the University |accessdate=2008-03-13 |work=University of Derby ] He also lectures extensively about walking.

Marathon walks undertaken

UK

*Hebridean Journey - convert|1003|mi|km.
*Northern Isles Journey - convert|913|mi|km.
*Irish Island Journey - convert|1578|mi|km.
*Parkland Journey - convert|2043|mi|km.
*Land's End to John o' Groats - convert|1608|mi|km.
*East of England Heritage Route - convert|450|mi|km
*Entire coastline of Great Britain - convert|6824|mi|km - first ever undertaking.

Continental Europe

*Across Austria – convert|712|mi|km.
*Loire Valley – convert|450|mi|km.
*Europe crossing – convert|2806|mi|km.
*Camino de Santiago – French route – convert|1100|mi|km.
*Camino de Santiago – Seville route – convert|700|mi|km.
*Camino de Santiago – Portuguese route – convert|650|mi|km.
*St Olav’s Way – convert|440|mi|km.

America

*Appalachian Trail - convert|2200|mi|km.
*Mexico to Canada via the Pacific Crest Trail – convert|2700|mi|km.
*Buckeye Trail in Ohio – convert|1310|mi|km - first ever undertaking
*Virginia Beach on the Atlantic coast, to San Francisco on the Pacific coast – convert|4226|mi|km – taking a record 178 days.

Overall

In all Merrill has calculated that he walked convert|182000|mi|km between 1973 and 2006, raising over £150,000 in charity sponsorship.

Books published

Merrill is author of more than 240 walking guides which he prints and publishes himself, and his book sales are in excess of 3 million. His best known work is possibly "‘Turn Right at Land’s End’" about his walk around Britain’s coastline. He has created many long distance walks including The Limey Way, The Peakland Way, and Jennifer's Challenge Walk. He has also written about non-walking matters such as Sir Joseph Paxton and other famous Derbyshire figures.

Walking practices

Merrill has an idiosyncratic methodology which involves never taking breaks during a day’s walk, carrying no water, travelling unaccompanied and walking thirty miles a day and more at a constant rate of three miles per hour. He has suggested that the limit of endurance is approximately 200 miles per week. He claims on his website that “you need to walk convert|500|mi|km before you are settled into the task and have comfy feet. After convert|1000|mi|km you are really adjusted and by convert|1500|mi|km you can push yourself relentlessly. By convert|2000|mi|km of continuous walking you are at your peak performance, but after convert|2500|mi|km you are physically declining”.

References

External links

* [http://www.johnmerrillwalkguides.com/home.html John Merrill Foundation]