NHS England will launch a “marathon a month” walking challenge early next year, offering discounts and vouchers to people who walk for around 30 minutes a day, in what could become the largest mass-participation walking programme in the country’s history.
The scheme, developed with former Olympic medallist Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run, asks participants to walk roughly 30 minutes daily, covering approximately 42 kilometers (26 miles) per month, the distance of a marathon. Progress will be tracked digitally through smartphones or smartwatches, allowing users to log their daily walks and maintain a streak.
“If someone walks 30 minutes five times a week, they could gain up to four extra years of healthy life,” said Sir Brendan. “I’m known for running, but the ambition here is far simpler. We just want people to walk. Simple.”
How the rewards work
Participants who complete the challenge will become eligible for rewards including discounts and other incentives. The NHS is funding the initial setup but plans to draw in philanthropic backing from major corporate sponsors as the programme expands, the rewards themselves will not be funded by the NHS.
The scheme taps into “streak culture”, the same daily habit-building seen on platforms like Snapchat and Duolingo, to encourage consistency. Sir Brendan said he hopes the desire to maintain an unbroken streak will keep participants engaged.
The problem it addresses
Physical inactivity is linked to one in six deaths in the UK, according to NHS England. A person is deemed inactive if they do less than 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. A Sport England survey found that approximately 12 million adults in England currently fall into this category.
The scheme aims to recruit more than 100,000 participants initially. Full details of the voucher programme and registration process will be released in the coming months.