Imagine watching all three of The Lord of the Rings extended editions in one sitting. For those that don’t have the runtime memorized, that would be an 11-hour and 22-minute marathon full of adventure, sacrifice and heroics. However, that binge session would pale in comparison to the time that Frodo and Sam actually spent on their quest. It took the pair of Hobbits just over six months to travel from the Shire to Mordor because they covered a whopping 1815 miles.
Most people have no idea what it would be like to travel that far without a motorized vehicle, but now there’s a way to find out. Thanks to the creative alliance between The Conqueror Challenges and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, there’s a new Lord of the Rings-themed fitness challenge. Here are all the details on this incredibly-cool intersection between fitness and the fantasy-loving fandom.
The Conqueror has a lot of fitness challenges, but The Lord of the Rings one is the latest in a successful series. The challenge is simple: travel the same distance that Frodo and Sam traveled on their way to destroy Sauron’s One Ring in Mordor. It’s all virtual, everything gets done at the user’s pace, and any distance exercise gets logged. And, if that wasn’t enough, when finishing legs of the journey, there are specific rewards, including video rewards, postcards, physical medals and even Sauron’s One Ring to keep safe.
In all, there are five legs to the journey. “The Shire” covers Frodo and the Hobbits’ journey from Hobbiton to Bree and is 145mi (233km) long, while “The Fellowship” follows Frodo and his companions from Bree to the Doors of Durin, lasting 98mi (157km). Next, “Mines of Moria” covers the 40mi (64km) that Frodo and the Fellowship spent under the Misty Mountains, which was Frodo’s fault in the first place. Then, “The Eye of Sauron” takes Frodo from Moria to the Black Gage of Mordor, taking 95mi (153km) or 668mi (1075km) for cyclists. The final leg of the journey is through “Mordor” to the terrifying Mount Doom, which lasts 282mi (454km).
The cost for the program is US $199.99 | UK £159.95 | €179.95, and more information is available here. Alternatively, it’s possible to choose to complete and purchase each leg of the journey separately. Hurry, though, because the challenge only lasts for a limited time, and in its first week alone, over 25,000 people signed up.
And while the challenge is a great way to find some fantasy-themed inspiration to get in shape, that’s not the only benefit. For every person that signs up, The Conqueror will either plant 25 real trees or prevent 250 plastic bottles from entering the ocean. So, for those looking to immerse themselves in a fantastical world while working out, consider checking out this Lord of the Rings challenge.
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