A Swedish Competition Inspired By a Stephen King Novel

Every summer, an unusual race takes place, starting in the Swedish capital. It’s a grueling test of endurance inspired by an unlikely source: a Stephen King novel.

The 1979 psychological horror novel The Long Walk is set in a future dystopian America, where an annual walking competition is held. One hundred boys start walking at a constant speed of four miles per hour, escorted by soldiers. It’s soon obvious that the soldiers aren’t there for the sake of the contestants, but instead serve a much more sinister purpose.