NHS England is preparing to introduce a rewards scheme for people who walk for about 30 minutes a day, as part of a new public health challenge aimed at reducing physical inactivity.
The initiative, due to launch early next year, will ask participants to complete the equivalent distance of a marathon each month by walking regularly. People who record a walk every day would cover roughly 26 miles over the course of a month.
Participants will be able to log their activity online or through a mobile phone or smartwatch. NHS England said those who complete the challenge will be eligible for rewards, which could include incentives and discounts. Full details of the scheme, including how people can sign up and what rewards will be available, are expected to be published in the coming months.
The programme is being developed as part of the 10-year health plan for England and is intended to use digital tracking and habit-forming behaviour to encourage more people to be active. The NHS is covering the initial set-up costs, while the wider plan is to seek philanthropic support from large companies as the scheme expands.
Former Olympic medallist Sir Brendan Foster, who founded the Great North Run, is working with NHS England on the campaign. He was asked to help design an initiative focused on walking rather than running, with the aim of making regular activity accessible to a broad group of people.
Sir Brendan told the BBC: “I’m known for running, but the ambition here is far simpler. We just want people to walk. Simple.”
NHS England is aiming to sign up more than 100,000 participants. Daily activity data will be recorded digitally, allowing the programme to track whether users maintain their walking pattern over the month. Sir Brendan has said that, if the target is reached, the number of people collectively completing the distance would make it the largest marathon-style event recorded.
The scheme is also expected to draw on what is often described as “streak” culture, where people are encouraged to continue a daily habit because they do not want to interrupt a run of consecutive days. Similar approaches are used by social media and learning apps to encourage repeated engagement.
NHS England says physical inactivity is associated with one in six deaths. A person is classed as physically inactive if they do less than 30 minutes of moderate-intensity equivalent physical activity a week. Sport England data for the year to November 2025 suggested that nearly a quarter of adults in England, around 12 million people, fell into that category.
Regular walking is widely recommended as a low-cost way to increase moderate physical activity. It does not require specialist equipment and can be built into daily routines, although public health experts caution that individual schemes alone are unlikely to address all the barriers that prevent people from being active.
Sir Brendan said the health gains could be meaningful if people maintained the level of activity. He said that walking for 30 minutes on five days each week could help someone gain up to four additional years of healthy life.
Sonia Pombo, head of research and impact at Action on Salt & Sugar, said schemes that make activity simple and achievable could help some people begin to move more regularly. “Encouraging people to build regular movement into their daily lives can support better health, and making it simple, achievable and rewarding may help more people get started,” she said.
She added that public health policy should not rely solely on personal behaviour change. “If the government is serious about improving the nation’s health, particularly for children, it must pair initiatives like this with stronger prevention measures,” she said.
Reaction from younger adults interviewed by the BBC was broadly positive, with some saying a gamified approach could make them more likely to stay active. One participant said small daily walks would be easier to fit into her routine than joining a gym, although she said practical rewards such as free food or drink would be more motivating than general discounts.
The NHS walking challenge will now move towards a formal launch, with further information expected on eligibility, digital tracking and the planned voucher or incentive system. Its impact will depend on how many people sign up, whether they continue the activity beyond the first month, and how effectively the scheme reaches those who are currently inactive.
