“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
~ J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring
Once, long ago . . .
Well, back in March 2003 anyways . . .
The “Éowyn Challenge” set a goal for interested adventurers to walk, run, swim, etc. the distance Frodo and his friends travelled from Bag End to Rivendell by the theatrical release date later that year of The Return of the King. Since then, thousands of fans have completed this “journey” and have gone on to cover even greater distances marked by milestones in Tolkien’s works. With extensive research into the book timelines and maps of Middle-earth, they’ve developed numerous charts that help add some fantasy flavor to your exercise goals.
I’ve been planning on doing this challenge for years now but never got around to it. Now, with the upcoming arrival of Amazon’s new series based on the world of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, it feels like a great time to take those first steps!
My Journey Through Middle-earth
Join My Fellowship
Want to join my quest? Start walking, running, biking, horseback riding or going however you wish to go! Measure your distance travelled and check this chart to see how far along you’ve come.
I’d love to give a shoutout to anyone willing to join me! Here are a few ways to join the fun:
- You can start at any day, at any time, regardless of where everyone else is!
- Feel free to talk about/show whatever you’d like about your “journey”, along with what distance you’ve covered and where that corresponds to on the Lord of the Rings travel chart. You can also post pics/stories of where you did your walk/run/etc for that leg, or about your fitness/weight loss journey, or anything else you feel inspired to share!
- Tweet or post on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #JourneyThroughMiddleEarth
- Write a blog post and email the link to hello@stylemefantasy.com
- Comment on this or any of my other #JourneyThroughMiddleEarth posts to let me know how far along you are
Giveaways!
When I reach key milestones (Bree, Rivendell, etc) I’ll be hosting some giveaways to celebrate! If you’re a blogger who has joined my fellowship and wants to be included, get in touch.
Disclaimer: Copyrights and trademarks for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books and films are held by their respective owners and our limited use of these materials is done by permission or is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Act.