British adventurer Karl Bushby has completed a 28-year walk around the world, arriving at his mother’s home in Hull, England, on Monday, 2 November 2026. The 57-year-old former paratrooper set off from Punta Arenas in Chile on 1 November 1998, aged 29, and covered approximately 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometres) across four continents and 30 countries.
Bushby, whose journey is known as the Goliath Expedition, pushed his cart into Queen Victoria Square in Hull at around 11 a.m. on 2 November, under a banner reading “Welcome home Karl”, before reaching his mother’s house at about 1 p.m. Hundreds of supporters and family members welcomed him home.
No motorised transport to move forward
Bushby followed two self-imposed rules: no motorised transport would move him forward, and he would not return to the United Kingdom until the mission was complete. He walked, ran and swam his way home, crossing the Bering Strait on ice, swimming the Caspian Sea, and swimming the English Channel on 5 October 2026 to reach British soil.
The journey was expected to take five years. Instead it took 28 years and one day, delayed by borders, visas, detention in Russia in 2006, sponsorship setbacks and long waits for suitable conditions. He left home with a tent, a few hundred dollars and a cheap plastic camera, according to Al Jazeera.
How far, exactly?
The exact distance depends on who is counting. The Associated Press put it at about 31,000 miles, while other estimates, including some from Bushby’s own expedition, run closer to 36,000 miles. As of 2 November, no official body such as Guinness World Records had confirmed a record for the walk, according to Consensus Daily, which compiled AP, BBC and Al Jazeera reporting.
A feature-length documentary about the expedition is now in production, and Bushby is expected to undertake a speaking tour around England. He has said he is considering retraining as a teacher, after enjoying giving talks in schools during his walk. His personal belongings and photographs are set to be displayed in an exhibition at the Monocle building in Hull, running from 3 November 2026 until early 2027, according to the BBC. German filmmaker Werner Herzog, who is making the documentary, was at the family home on the day Bushby arrived. After 28 years on the road, the walking is over, and the next chapter, telling the story, is only just beginning.
