‘Let’s Walk’ Day breaks record
Saturday 26th April saw a record number of people turn up and walk at their local parkrun as the nation came together for ‘Let’s Walk’ day – an initiative by parkrun and UK headline partner Vitality, which launched last month to celebrate the simple act of walking. Let’s Walk day saw a record-breaking 14,000 walkers at UK parkrun events, including 4,000 walking for the very first time.
Vitality’s Habit Index, which highlights the significant impact walking can have on health outcomes—revealing that walking just 5,000 steps, three times a week, can add up to three years to life expectancy*—served as the cornerstone of the ‘Let’s Walk’ campaign, with this compelling evidence underpinning Vitality’s commitment to promoting and forming healthy habits. Creating healthy habits can be as simple as going along to your local parkrun and walking, jogging, running, or volunteering each week.
Over the last few weeks, Vitality Ambassadors have been surprising parkrunners at their local events in the build-up to the big day. Ellie Simmonds, Joe Root, Heather Knight, Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Gabby Logan have all put on their trainers to walk at their local parkrun events.
Nick Read, managing director of the Vitality programme, said: “The sheer number of people who turned up and walked this weekend as part of ‘Let’s Walk’ day is a testament to the power of community and the simple act of walking.
“At Vitality, we are dedicated to promoting healthy habits that can significantly improve life expectancy and overall wellbeing and we want to encourage people, whatever their current level of fitness, to take regular small steps to a healthier life. Building on our successful ten-year partnership with parkrun to include those who may be deterred by the idea of running a 5k was a logical progression, perfectly aligning with our mission to empower people to lead healthier, more active lives.”
Ellie Simmonds, former Paralympian and Vitality Ambassador, added: “Taking part in parkrun this weekend for Vitality’s Let’s Walk Day was such a special experience. The sense of togetherness, and to know it was a record-breaking day for parkwalk made it even more inspiring.
“It was amazing to see people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds coming together, supporting each other, and enjoying being active in the moment. I left feeling really uplifted and proud to be part of something that helps people take small, powerful steps towards better wellbeing.”
Vitality members also set a new record, with weekly participation in parkrun rising from 9,000 in early March to more than 11,500 running and walking this weekend. To reward them for their participation this weekend they have been rewarded with 12 Vitality points instead of the usual eight they get from taking part in parkrun, which can be used to unlock rewards as part of the Vitality Programme.
Vitality members can continue to earn eight Vitality points each week by taking part in parkrun—whether running, jogging, or walking—and five Vitality points for volunteering.
parkrun is a free, weekly community event that takes place in parks and open spaces every Saturday morning across the country. Vitality and parkrun are committed to helping people live healthier, more active lives, and events like ‘Let’s Walk’ day are a testament to the power of community and the simple act of walking.
Find out more about parkwalk: https://www.vitality.co.uk/community/sponsorship/parkwalk/
Notes to Editors
* Data taken from the Vitality Habits Index