Karl Bushby Returns to Hull, England, After 28-Year Walk Around the World

British adventurer Karl Bushby, 57, completed a 28-year walk around the world on Monday, November 2, arriving in his hometown of Hull, England, about 150 miles north of London. He set out in 1998 at age 29 and finished 28 years and one day later, after an estimated 75 million steps. Reports put the distance at 30,000 to 31,000 miles. He followed two rules: no help from any machine, and no returning home, even if family or friends died. Illness, Russian visa restrictions, Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and the need to swim large bodies of water delayed him for months or years. He also faced armed gangs in the Darien Gap, jail in Panama and a polar bear in Siberia. Crowds greeted him with cheers. Bushby told them he had not done it alone and that the biggest team behind him was Earth. His mother, Angela, wept and asked where he had been when he reached the house he left in 1998.

Left-leaning coverage comes from CBS News and NBC News. CBS gives the fullest account of the journey, leading with the two rules, the delays and dangers, his changed appearance, and his speech crediting a large team. It describes Hull as a gritty, proud working-class port city and calls the welcome a hero's one. NBC's short video item says he finished on November 2 and reports on an interview with him by Raf Sanchez. Both use 28-year milestone framing, but they differ on distance: CBS says 30,000 miles and NBC says 31,000. Alternative outlet AP differs by leading with the emotional reunion with his mother and her question, and also says 31,000 miles. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had.