DO IT FOR FUN
Enjoyment is integral to #walk1000miles, and besides the simple happy-making of walking itself, there are lots of ways to add smiles to your miles…
60% Made NEW FRIENDS through taking part
ONE OF THE best things about walking? Not only is it fun itself, it makes everything else that’s fun more fun too. Conversation? Way easier when you’re walking shoulder to shoulder. Food? Way tastier with an appetite, undimmed by guilt. Sitting on the sofa? Resplendently throne-like when you’ve earned your rest. Laughter? Everything’s so much funnier when your brain’s already merry on endorphins. Relationships? What could go wrong with a more peaceable disposition and a firmer butt? And when you’re part of a gigantic group-hug like #walk1000miles, there are so many opportunities to form connections with others – the source of so much that’s fun and fulfilling in life. 89% of participants surveyed said taking part in the challenge was a powerful antidote to loneliness – a fact that became startlingly relevant during 2020’s long unforeseen periods of social distancing and isolation. How do we use #walk1000miles to fight against that tide? Well, these ways are tried and trusted…
Take part in our #mini-challenges
Every month in Country Walking magazine (the home of #walk1000miles) we issue five new mini-challenges and you can take on as many as you like during your walks that month. Some are dares, some projects, some things to find, some grown up, some really not – each gives you the chance to win one of our money-can’t-buy Golden Badges, giving you entry to a very exclusive club (only 20 are won each month). You can only find out what the #minichallenges are, and – crucially – claim your badge, with your copy of Country Walking (because the idea isn’t just to stimulate walking and fun, but to say thank you to our subscribers!).
Meet up
Unplanned: Wearing your #walk1000miles badge marks you out to other challengers (or badgers as you’ll often hear them referred to) – and you’re always glad to meet one, because you already have loads in common! It can happen on the high street or in the highlands. Don’t forget in all the excitement to get a photo!
Planned: In normal times, meet-ups of all sizes are organised via the Events tab in the challenge Facebook group. They can be long in the planning or quite spontaneous, have a couple of attendees or a dozen or more, and you’re free to join or create one. More info at www.walk1000miles.co.uk/meetups