This weekend, saw a record number of parkwalkers at parkrun across the United Kingdom as the nation came together for parkrun and Vitality’s ‘Let’s Walk’ day with over 13,000 people walking at their local parkrun – including Olympic legend and Vitality Ambassador Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Ennis-Hill, who famously won heptathlon gold for Team GB on ‘Super Saturday’ in 2012, was at Endcliffe parkrun and she said: “It was such a joy to be at Endcliffe parkrun this weekend and be part of Let’s Walk Day, with so many people coming together to walk at their local parkrun events across the country.
“The atmosphere was incredible, full of energy, encouragement, and community spirit, and seeing so many people take part for the first time this weekend was really special.
“Walking is a great way to boost both physical and mental wellbeing.
“parkrun is not about how fast you go, it’s about coming along, moving in a way that works for you, and being part of something positive.”
‘Let’s Walk’ day, a nationwide initiative by parkrun and UK headline partner Vitality, was launched on March 24th to celebrate the simple act of walking, its health and wellbeing benefits and power to build social connections.
Over the last few weeks, Vitality ambassadors have been surprising lucky parkrunners at their local events in the build up to the big day.
Paralympic Legend Ellie Simmonds as well as English cricketing legends Joe Root and Heather Knight also pulled on their trainers to walk at their local parkruns.
The campaign highlights how walking together can have a supercharged effect on both physical and mental wellbeing.
New research commissioned by Vitality found that half of Brits (50%) say they walk further when deep in conversation, while 27% walk for longer when they’re with someone else.
The benefits extend beyond steps, too - 24% say company on a walk lifts their mood, and 21% say it helps ease loneliness.
Despite knowing the benefits, the research also revealed that 35% of people struggle to find someone to walk with, and over a third (36%) don’t know how to meet new people or start a conversation.
Vitality Global CEO, Neville Koopowitz, said: “I am tremendously proud to see the incredible results at this weekend’s relaunch of parkwalk, with parkrun seeing the biggest turnout of walkers to date.
"Walking is a powerful way to improve and bolster your health and wellbeing, and we know that taking just 5,000 steps three times a week can add up to three years to your life expectancy.
"This weekend’s results are an important step in further encouraging and supporting even more people to lead healthier lives by getting outside and getting active. I look forward to seeing even more people take part in the future, whether they’re walking, running, or volunteering.”
parkrun is a free, weekly community event that takes place in parks and open spaces every Saturday morning and people can walk, jog, run, volunteer, or simply come along and cheer others on.
You can find your nearest parkrun and register for free at www.parkrun.org.uk.