My friend Iza and I are both British and we walked the Great Wall of China from Jiayuguan to Shanghaiguan in 2002. On our own with no support transport, no guides, no GPS systems and a smattering of Chinese. We used Chinese provincial road maps and stayed with farmers along the way. Are we not the first British couple to walk the wall?
Miranda Ford, Twickenham

Miranda Ford, Twickenham, Middelsex

I have also read about the South Africans incredible journey, however they started at Jiayuguan and finished at Shanhaiguan.
The couple in question started further West at Yumemguan and finished further East at the Hushan wall, take a look at a map.

B. Evans, Lyon,

I bet the did it with champaign and frois du grois, so what! How about the pioneers that walk the same distances with their full families, no shoes, through intemperate environs and hostile Indians in the American west.. They are the ones I admir --not these pampered twits!

Margaret Walker, Souix Falls, South Dakota

I would like to point out to you that two South Africans have in fact run the entire length of the Great Wall of China in 2006. Your article is therefore factually incorrect.

You are welcome to read more about there journey by following this link: http://www.southafrica.info/features/milesforsmiles.htm

G Smith, Cape Town,

Dear Hu Weng

This one rule for the British, another rule for the rest of us is just distorted, unnecesarily negative thinking. The simple fact is that they managed their PR better than you did.

Having said that it seems that you were much better equipped with just your tea flask and delicious beef dumplings rather than some spine crunching giant backpack. Perhaps your Chinese language skils enabled you to go without a map in your homeland.

Anyway congratulations on an amazing achievement.

Liz, Shanghai,

Big deal, obviously these folks have nothing else better to do and be independently wealthy. May be they can walk some disable person across the street next time.

J Fuller, oklahoma city,

The so called Aussie 'dog fence' is nothing more than a rabbit fence.
If one really wants to split hair for the sake of futile argument, how about the Trans Pacific Telecoms Cable?

P Stewart, Kent, UK

Well spotted Mr Fuchs. Note to Ed. check facts before printing story. You are the Times for heavens sake.

Clark, Geneva, Switz

Actually, I walked the entire wall in 2002. I agree it got pretty sketchy in the deserts as all I had with me was a flask of tea and a beef dumpling but I didn't have GPS so where is my media coverage? Once again, its one rule for Aging British hikers and one rule for the rest of us.

Hu Weng, Beijing, China

Patrick, dude, although a 'fence' is a structure per se, strictly speaking, it is not. If I stretch a 5,000-mile long rope on poles planted in the ground across the U.S., will that be the longest man-made 'structure'? If that´s the case, then the power lines are the longest man-made structure on earth.

Kong Kek Kuat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The 'dog fence' in Australia is the longest manmade structure on earth at 3,307mi.

Patrick Fuchs, ID, USA