Walk the Walk plus #walk1000miles – perfect partners

You never forget your first MoonWalk: the camaraderie, the buzz, the incredible pride at doing something you once would have thought impossible – it’s a feel-good cocktail sweeter than any Mojito. Now imagine making that high last all year round, and you’ll have summed up how MoonWalkers who do partner challenge #walk1000miles feel.

My name is Guy Procter and I’m the editor of Country Walking, the magazine behind #walk1000miles and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to tell you a bit about more it. The challenge sprang from our desire to give people a reason and an impetus to walk more. People who walk regularly know how good it makes them feel and don’t need any persuasion, but we wanted to reach people who we knew would benefit from walking but who would never have considered themselves walkers – and certainly never considered it could have a profound effect on their health and happiness as we know it can. I’d already observed the effect in myself and I noticed it too when my wife did her first MoonWalk. It was then it occurred to me if we could get our two challenges together we might change the world through walking!

You can walk 1000 miles in 2018 at a daily average of about three miles – or a little under an hour. It’s a great way to build your fitness at times of the year it’s hard to get motivated and maintains your fitness beyond your big night out. It also plugs you into an online community of over 25,000 walkers famous for its friendliness and support.

People who’ve done both can’t seem to say enough good things about them.

“Doing #walk1000miles helped keep me focused during my training that on the days that I found tough” says Tracey Crampton from Tunbridge Wells; “Knowing there were other 1000-milers in the same position and reading others’ journeys in the Facebook group made a big difference”

“I loved my MoonWalk but I don’t think I would have finished without #walk1000miles ” says Nikki Wilson from Oswestry: “It keeps you focused on a goal, you go out and walk more often and each time for a longer distance and you enjoy it more because it all counts toward walking 1000 miles. I've met great people, made good friends and discovered hills, mountains and countryside I never would have. I'm so grateful!”

Doing the challenge is free, fun and flexible, and in 2017 completers ranged in age from six to 86, with 99.7% of participants saying it was suitable for all levels of fitness. Start on 1 March and your daily target is just 3.28 miles – or about an hour’s brisk walk. “It’s such a supportive bunch of people and a great way to get in touch with other people who were also doing the MoonWalk too!” says MoonWalk- and 1000-mile completer Denise Law.

This will be my third year involved with #walk1000miles (a time in which participation has grown from under 1000 to over 50,000), and my first with Walk the Walk. I can honestly say it’s been the highpoint of my professional life to see walking change people’s lives through both our challenges – and the enthusiasm for an activity that costs so little yet gives much spread among our ever-expanding communities. 

• You can find out more about #walk1000miles and sign up free at www.walk1000miles.co.uk
• Plus join The MoonWalk London or The MoonWalk Scotland or a Unique Challenge with Walk the Walk and make it a perfect partnership.

Guy Procter