Wondering how long does it take to walk 10 miles? It’s certainly a big commitment for a daily goal. Walking 10 miles is a great distance for a day hike or for walking every day on a backpacking trip.
As a goal for getting fit in daily life, 10 miles a day is a lot of steps to cover. Most people will take 3 to 4 hours to cover the distance.
How long it takes depends on your walking speed. Most people are capable of walking 3 miles per hour (mph) on level ground. Add hills and the hiking time will shoot up.
Read on to find out how fitness, age, terrain, and gender can affect walking speeds.
How Far Is 10 Miles?
10 miles is 17,600 yards or 16,093 meters or approximately 16K.
How many steps is 10 miles of walking?
Using a pedometer or activity tracker and counting your steps is a great way to keep track of how far you walk during the day. The number of steps it takes to complete 10 miles depends on fitness levels, average step length (stride length), and pace.
Walking 10 miles is the same distance as approximately 20000 to 24000 steps.
How Long Does It Take To Walk 10 Miles?
Your walking speed dictates how long it takes to walk 10 miles. Walk quickly and you’ll cover the distance in a faster time than at a slower pace.
Walking speeds vary from person to person and will reflect the purpose of the walk. When walking for fitness at a brisk pace, the average person typically walks at a pace between 3 to 4 miles per hour (mph). At this speed, it takes approximately 150 to 200 minutes to walk 10 miles (2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 20 minutes).
If you’re a slow walker 10 miles can take a lot longer – 5 hours at a pace of 2 mph. Add some rest stops and a 10-mile hike easily fills a whole day.
A leisurely pace is typically 2.5 mph. At this pace, 10 miles takes 4 hours.
Power walk or jog at a 12-minute mile pace and you can cover the distance in just 2 hours!
If you know your walking pace for one mile, you can calculate your walking speed for 10 miles from the following chart:
| Walking Speed (mph) | Walking Pace (min/mile) | Time Taken To Walk 10 Miles (hour: min) |
| 2.0 | 30.0 | 5:00 |
| 2.25 | 26.7 | 4:27 |
| 2.5 | 24.0 | 4:00 |
| 2.75 | 21.8 | 3:38 |
| 3.0 | 20.0 | 3:20 |
| 3.25 | 18.5 | 3:05 |
| 3.5 | 17.1 | 2:51 |
| 3.75 | 16.0 | 2:40 |
| 4.0 | 15.0 | 2:30 |
| 4.25 | 14.1 | 2:21 |
| 4.5 | 13.3 | 2:13 |
| 4.75 | 12.6 | 2:06 |
| 5.0 | 12.0 | 2:00 |
Think 10 miles is too far? Find out how long does it take to walk 6 miles, 7 miles, or 9 miles?
What Is The Average Walking Speed?
Average walking pace is typically 3 mph. This moderate walking pace does decrease with age but not as much as you might think.
This study by Schimpl, Moore et al found that the difference is just 1.2 minutes when walking a distance of 1 km aged 20 compared to 60 years.
That’s a difference of 19 minutes over 10 miles. Some people may think that’s a lot but fitness levels make a much bigger impact. Provided you’re healthy, if you train to walk faster and for walking longer distances, it’s relatively easy to beat average speeds whatever your age.
Find out more about average walking speed by age and gender.
Walking Pace Over Longer Distances
Most people start to slow down when they walk further than their comfort zone. If you’re only used to walking 3 miles a day, suddenly walking 10 miles will come as a shock.
Unless you’re fit from other endurance activities, expect to slow down the further you walk. When you’re walking a long distance, it’s best to walk slower at the start. It helps you avoid running out of energy over the last few miles.
It can be a good exercise to practice different walking speeds. Try walking for a mile at a slow pace, a moderate pace, and a brisk pace – which pace could you keep up over 10 miles?
It’s always important to build up your mileage slowly. If you’re not used to walking, start with a distance that’s in your comfort zone. It could be 2 miles or 3 miles or 5 miles. Or take rest stops to let your legs recover.
Walking Pace On A Treadmill
I cannot imagine walking 10 miles on a treadmill but don’t let that stop you! Average pace on a treadmill can be faster than walking outside. Instead of uneven pavements and street furniture to dodge, you have a flat consistent treadmill belt to walk on.
On a treadmill, you can set the speed setting to the pace you want to walk at. So if you set the speed to 3 mph, it will take you 200 minutes to walk 10 miles.
At a speed of 4 mph, it will take 150 minutes to walk 10 miles.
Your biggest issue will be boredom. Listen to podcasts, watch a movie, or set yourself mini targets to break the monotony.
Walk Uphill
If you want to build strength and fitness quickly, you should incorporate some hills into your route. Walking uphill is good for strengthening your muscles and increasing stamina. You’ll walk faster on the flat after some hill training.
The best guide for the time it takes to walk uphill is Naismith’s Rule.
A fit individual can walk roughly 3 miles (4.8 km) in an hour, with an additional hour for every 2,000 feet (610 m) of altitude gained.
Naismith’s Rule
Conceived by the Scottish mountaineer William Naismith in 1892, I find that it still works today. However, you may find a lot of criticism online about the rule and claims that it underestimates walking times.
The issue is age and fitness level. The ruling was designed for fit mountaineers carrying heavy packs to the start of climbing routes. If I’m walking with a light day pack I normally find the rule overestimates the time to hike 10 miles.
If you’re an older walker or struggling with fitness, it’s best to adjust Naismith’s Rule to 2 miles an hour plus an additional hour for every 1,000 feet.
For people with a reasonable fitness level, Naismith’s Rule tends to be spot on. For example, if you’re hiking 10 miles with 4000 feet of elevation, allow 5 hours 20 minutes to complete your hike.
The rule doesn’t include for rest stops, and it’s always a good idea to allow a contingency just in case. Hit a rough section of trail where you’re thrashing through undergrowth or over boulder fields and your walking times can shoot up.
I always like to check AllTrails for walking times for a new route. It can be a good gauge for walking conditions and average hiking times.
Will You Lose Body Weight Walking 10 Miles A Day?
Walking comes with many mental and physical health benefits such as better blood sugar regulation, improved cardiovascular health, better bone density, and reduced stress and anxiety.
But one of the main reasons people start walking regularly is to reduce body weight.
Walking 10 miles a day helps you lose weight as long as you’re in an energy deficit (burning more calories than you consume). A 10-mile walk typically burns 800 to 1000 calories.
Calories burned will depend on your current body weight and speed. Find out how many calories burned walking using our Walking Calorie Calculator.
Everyone is unique with different starting points and targets. How many miles you need to walk daily for weight loss will depend on your fitness goals. Find out how much should I walk according to my BMI.
Thoughts From Love Life Be Fit
Walking 10 miles is great for a day hike but for every day it’s a major undertaking. Most people find it best to split up the distance into 2 or 3 shorter walks spread throughout the day.
Don’t worry about your average speed. If you’re walking regularly you’ll soon start to walk faster as your legs and body adjust to training.
Get some supportive walking shoes or trainers and seek out scenic and pleasant routes. A long walk is a great way to clear your head and forget about the stresses of day-to-day life.
It’s best to follow a walking program instead of jumping straight into walking 10 miles a day. If you’re new to walking for fitness start here.