# What was the Fastest/Furthest forced march? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2014, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955 "2014-11-07T04:50:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/1 "2014-11-07T04:50:28Z")
I’m not sure how to phrase this. I’m thinking of a military unit, that has at least fifty guys; what’s the farthest a unit like that has traveled, on foot, in one day? Two? A Week? A Month? I remember seeing that British Commandos had done over a hundred miles in a day. Confederate Soldiers and Roman Legions also come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Joker_and_the_Thief)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/2 "2014-11-07T05:13:09Z")
It’s probably going to be a more modern march, since footwear and roads have both improved dramatically. Although I could see the Romans do it, maybe, but I doubt it. Very few other ancient cultures would have acceptable roads–perhaps the Incas or the Royal Road in Persia, but that’s it as far as I can tell. Also, 100miles/day is 14:24 minute miles for 24 hours. The fastest ultramarathon runners, in running gear on a track, can barely do that in 12 hours. Where’s your source on that? ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/3 "2014-11-07T06:17:45Z")
I remember reading somewhere (no cite, but hey, you can trust me) that Stonewall Jackson’s army in the Shenandoah Valley were referred to as ‘foot cavalry’ because they could average over 2 miles an hour for a day or two. This gave him a tremendous advantage in maneuvering around the slower Union forces. This was for an army of something like 15,000ish. Whatever the fastest is I’m thinking it will be for a small group. You’re probably in the ball park in setting the minimum at 50. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/4 "2014-11-07T06:28:29Z")
I’d nominate the Zulu impis. They were a lot bigger than 50 men. Morris claimed that they would routinely cover 50 miles per day on forced marches. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/5 "2014-11-07T06:57:46Z")
Craufurd’s Light Division did 62 miles in 26 hours, Wiki says: [Robert Craufurd - Wikipedia](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Craufurd) Not sure if those “miles” were modern reckoning or some other measure. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/6 "2014-11-07T10:14:30Z")
Members of the Royal Marines and Parachute Regiment marched 56 miles over the Falkland Isles’ rough terrain, carrying 80 pounds each, in just under three days to take Port Stanley back. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/7 "2014-11-07T10:53:17Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > Craufurd’s Light Division did 62 miles in 26 hours, Wiki says: > > [Robert Craufurd - Wikipedia](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Craufurd) > > Not sure if those “miles” were modern reckoning or some other measure. They used the same miles as we do. That march, in the July heat was not on good roads. Portugal did not have any then. It was a shame that they were too late though. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/8 "2014-11-07T21:04:44Z")
The famous “Band of Brothers”, Easy Company, did a [march](http://www.band-of-brothers.nl/artikel/vet_vet_Paul_R_Miller.htm) of 115 miles in 3 days. Supposedly some kind of record. It was covered in the first episode the TV series. That doesn’t sound all that far/fast. In the 60s there was a craze for Kennedy 50 mile walks. Fairly ordinary fit people walking 50 miles in a day in a non-race. The extra military gear (packs and such) must have been a major cause of the slowdown. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/9 "2014-11-07T22:42:23Z")
**Arrested Development** had the narrator (Ron Howard) react strongly when someone referred to Michael as “Opie,” and insist that no one say anything bad about Andy Griffith. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/10 "2014-11-07T23:49:53Z")
[The Spanish Blue Division](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Division#Russian_front_.28August.E2.80.93October_1941.29) in WWII (volunteer force) marched 900 km in c. 2 months to reach the front lines in Russia in late 1941. ---
**Author:** ![dofe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@dofe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dofe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/11 "2014-11-08T01:56:09Z")
In September 1066, King Harold II travelled from the South coast of England to Stamford Bridge when he learned of the Northern invasion by the Norwegians and his brother Tostig. I’m not sure if it counts as a march according to the OP, as Harold gathered his forces as he [marched north](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge) (he had dismissed his men after the Norman invasion he was awaiting never materialized), but: > [@](#): > > Learning of the Norwegian invasion he headed north at great speed with his houscarls and as many thegns as he could gather, travelling day and night. He made the journey from London to Yorkshire, a distance of about 185 miles, in only four days, enabling him to take the Norwegians completely by surprise. After defeating the Norwegians, Harold learned that the Norman invasion had finally occured, and was forced to [march south](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hastings#Harold_moves_south) again for the Battle of Hastings: > [@](#): > > After defeating his brother Tostig and Harald Hardrada in the north, Harold left much of his forces in the north, including Morcar and Edwin, and marched the rest of his army south to deal with the threatened Norman invasion. It is unclear when Harold learned of William’s landing, but it was probably while he was travelling south. Harold stopped in London, and was there for about a week before Hastings, so it is likely that he spent about a week on his march south, averaging about 27 miles (43 kilometres) per day, for the approximately 200 miles (320 kilometres). ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-fastest-furthest-forced-march/703955/12 "2014-11-08T02:49:36Z")
The Turks did a forced march across Palestine-Sinai to the Suez in 1914…and got cut to ribbons when they got there.