The ‘Sport Walk 12’ is a time based challenge and can be completed on trails, in an urban environment or on mixed terrain. The challenge is quite simple – you choose your own route, set your own goal and then walk as far as you can in 12 hours.

Record your challenge and share it with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #sportwalk12 so that we can congratulate you on your achievement! If you can, use a sports watch or phone app to track your walk and post it on Strava or another sports network. We have a Strava Club, so if you join us on there others in the club can also give you kudos. Take some snaps or shoot some video along the way and you’ll have some cracking memories of your big day.

This is not a virtual challenge, it’s the real thing! OK, so you won’t be among hundreds or thousands of others at an organised event but the test is still the same – you still have to walk the distance whether you’re in a crowd or on your own, so focus on being your best and achieving your goal.

In terms of goals for the Sport Walk 12, have a target distance in mind that is achievable based on your current ability but push yourself to go further! That’s the point – to go beyond what you know you can already do.

Routes
Best pick a ‘way marked’ route or National Trail if you can, so you don’t need to do a lot of navigation along the way. You could walk a section of the Ridgeway, South Downs Way, Pennine Way or the Wales Coast Path. If you can’t travel far from home, plan the biggest loop you can near your home and do laps. If you have trails that run close to your home, you can even use your house as a kind of checkpoint to stock up on fresh supplies of food a drink.

If you can go further afield to an iconic route, you’ll probably need to go point to point, so you’re going to need support to get to and from the trail & for food & drink supplies (unless you work out how & where you can restock fuel & hydration along the way). Take a look at our article on planning your own challenges, for guidance on support crews and refuelling etc, so you have all the info you need to plan your attack!

So there you go, now you have a big challenge to work towards! For most it will deliver an ultra distance walk (a fast Sport Walker should be able to complete 80km or more in this time) but it really doesn’t matter how far you go, all that matters is that you achieve what you’re capable of and that you get satisfaction from doing something a lot of people can’t imagine ever doing!

Get planning, get training, get going!

The Sport Walk 12 – walk as far as you can in 12 hours.