- Raymond Davis 'Ray' Garraty (#47)
- The novel's main character and point-of-view character, a sixteen-year-old boy from Pownal, Maine (for which he is called a "hick"). He is described as tall and well built with a 'heavy shock' of 'straw-thatch' hair and a faded army fatigue jacket. Garraty is bitter, naive and thoughtful, which makes him a good confidant for the other Walkers, and felt a compulsion to join the Walk that he struggles to understand. Although he has done farmwork, he is not an experienced athlete. His hobbies include dancing, reading, knitting and constellations; conversely, he dislikes beer and cities.
- Peter "Pete" McVries (#61)
- Garraty's closest companion, a sixteen-year-old boy from Passaic, New Jersey. He is described as "awesomely fit" with black hair, a knapsack and a white scar across his cheek, which he received from his ex-girlfriend. McVries is sardonic and has a masochistic streak, often goading others into pushing him away even during the pains of the Walk. He saves Garraty multiple times in the game, also giving him advice. He carries a strong hatred towards Barkovitch, stating his only desire is to outlast him.
- Stebbins (#88)
- A loner who walks at the rear of the group, a seventeen-year-old boy and the illegitimate son of the Major. He is described as a "lean Buddha" with pale blue eyes and a "sickly halo" of blond hair, and wears an old green sweater, a blue chambray shirt, purple pants and tennis shoes (which he later swaps for moccasins). Stebbins is calm, playful and mocking, and often talks to Garraty in riddles. He is convinced that the Walk is rigged, and is scared at the prospect of it being a straight game.
- Arthur "Art" Baker (#3)
- Another boy who is close with Garraty and McVries. He is a boy from a large, lower-class family in Louisiana (for which he is called a "cracker"). He is described as appearing "young and beautiful" and "almost ethereal", as moving with "deceptive leisure", and as wearing a red-striped shirt. Baker is sweet and sincere, but is a con artist and a former night rider, and he has a fascination with his own death.
- Henry "Hank" Olson (#70)
- One of Garraty's earliest companions, a boy of unknown background. He is described as an experienced smoker wearing his foodbelt slung low "like a gunslinger". Olson is cocky and arrogant and humorous ("raring to rip"), but quickly becomes withdrawn and unresponsive, with Garraty believing that he has become a "human Flying Dutchman".
- Gary Barkovitch (#5)
- A boy from Washington, DC. He is described as small and olive-skinned with a sharp nose and hooded eyes, and he sometimes wears a vinyl yellow rainhat; Garraty considers him to look like a "destructive child's teddy bear". Barkovitch is intense and adheres to a mysterious "Plan", and threatens to "dance on the graves" of the other Walkers, but becomes paranoid and insane when they ostracize him. He and McVries have a heated hatred towards each other throughout the walk.
- Abraham "Abe" (#2)
- One of Garraty's companions, a seventeen-year-old boy called a "rube". He is described as disjointed and shambling, with reddish hair, Oxford shoes and a jacket tied around his waist. Abraham is droll and somber and short-tempered, particularly when jibes are made at his intelligence, and entered the Walk partially as a joke.
- Collie Parker (#71-79)
- A boy from Joliet, Illinois. He is described as a big-muscled blond with a polo shirt and an insolent look; Garraty further describes him as a "leather jacket hero" and a "Saturday night tough guy". Parker despises Maine and uses excessive profanity, and often attempts to flirt with the spectators despite considering them to be "pigs".
- Pearson (#73-81)
- One of Garraty's companions. He is described as a tall boy with glasses and pants that are too big for him. Pearson is morose and enjoys poetry, game theory and chess, and views the Walk as a competition that can be solved logically. For luck, Pearson has ninety-nine pennies in his pocket, and moves one to his other pocket whenever someone dies.
- Scramm (#85)
- The predicted winner of the current Long Walk, a boy from Arizona with a pregnant wife. He is described as a shaggy young man with a crew cut, few remaining teeth, and a "moose-like" physique. Although dim-witted, Scramm is friendly and possesses a "simple dignity". He has dropped out of school and works in a bedsheet factory.
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