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Physical inactivity is estimated to cost the NHS around £1 billion each year
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NHS to reward walkers in new 'marathon a month' challenge
Jul 03, 2026
Highlights
- Participants will be encouraged to walk around 20-30 minutes a day
- Rewards may include shopping vouchers, discounts, digital badges and medals
- Organisers say inactivity costs the NHS around £1 billion a year
PEOPLE who walk every day could receive shopping vouchers, discounts and other rewards under a new NHS-backed campaign designed to encourage more people to be physically active.
According to reports, the Movement 26.2 campaign will launch next January, encouraging people to complete the equivalent of a marathon each month by walking for around 20 to 30 minutes a day. Participants will be able to record their progress through an app or website using their phones or smartwatches.
Organisers are in discussions with retailers about offering incentives through an NHS Points Scheme, modelled on loyalty programmes used by supermarkets and coffee chains. Rewards are expected to include digital badges, medals, discounts and shopping vouchers.
The campaign is being led by former Olympic medallist Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run, alongside Sir Keith Mills, who created the Air Miles loyalty scheme.
Foster told the Telegraph that the idea was to make physical activity simple and accessible. "The challenge became very simple: can you do a marathon? Not in one day, but over the course of a month," he said.
He added: "It's the marathon reimagined. You don't have to travel anywhere, you don't need special kit and there's no entry fee. It starts from your own front door."
According to Foster, the campaign's ambition was straightforward. "I'm known for running, but the ambition here is far simpler. We just want people to walk. Simple."
He also said the organisers hoped to create "the biggest marathon in history" if more than 100,000 people signed up and completed the challenge.
Rewards to encourage more people
The rewards system will use features such as digital "streaks", badges and milestones, similar to popular fitness and learning apps, to encourage people to keep walking. It follows concerns over increasingly inactive lifestyles in Britain.
Physical inactivity is estimated to cost the NHS around £1 billion each year and is linked to conditions including heart disease and diabetes.
Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said the scheme would help deliver the government's 10-Year Health Plan.
"Movement 26.2 is about exactly that – making movement part of everyday life again in a way that feels simple and achievable for everyone," he said. "By helping people build regular walking into their daily routines, we have a real opportunity to improve physical and mental wellbeing and help people live longer, healthier lives."
Reports said that the NHS will fund the initial set-up of the scheme, while rewards will be supported through partnerships with organisations from the public and private sectors rather than its own funding.
The organisers are expected to announce further details, including how people can register and the range of rewards available, in the coming months.
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