What if 2026 was the year you stopped “doing” London, and started inhabiting it, one pavement, park path, towpath and hidden cut-through at a time?
A good walking challenge does something sneaky. It turns the city into a story map. It gives your days a gentle drumbeat. It makes the phrase “I’ll just pop out” dangerously likely to become “I’ve accidentally discovered a whole new neighbourhood”.
This is how we Do London Differently and to help you along the way Go Jauntly has three brilliantly doable challenges for 2026, plus a city-wide moment in May where we’re going to try something audacious together.
Three Go Jauntly challenges to power your 2026
1) Walk 2026 km in 2026
A full-year quest with a satisfyingly neat number. The Walk 2026 Challenge is exactly what it sounds like, walk 2026 km across 2026. That works out at about 5.5 km (3.4 miles) a day, but the point is consistency, not perfection. Starts 1 Jan and runs to 31 Dec
Join here
2) Two Million March
Despite the name, this one is also a whole-year challenge (a little plot twist). Two Million March invites you to clock up two million steps in 2026, roughly 5,500 steps per day, running 1 Jan to 31 Dec.
Join here
3) Capital Ring Challenge
Want a London-shaped trophy? The Capital Ring is a circular Walk London route split into 15 sections, stretching 78 miles (126 km) between Woolwich and Beckton District Park. It’s a brilliant way to stitch together green spaces, surprising edges, and “wait, this is still London?!” moments.
Join here
Then go big in May, The London Walking Festival 2026
This May, London National Park City (with support from Go Jauntly and partners) hosts the London Walking Festival, a month-long celebration of walking and wheeling across the capital, running 1 to 31 May. (London National Park City)
In 2026, the ambition is simple and bold: let’s walk a million miles in May. The festival’s goals include getting more Londoners walking for leisure and active travel, connecting people to local biodiversity, bringing marginalised communities together with established walking and nature organisations, and (re)introducing Londoners to the Walk London Network.
Why walking works, the science bit
A few evidence-backed reasons to take these challenges seriously (even if you do them playfully):
- Walking is linked with longer life. A systematic review and meta-analysis found walking was associated with an 11% lower risk of all-cause mortality at a standardised weekly dose. (PubMed)
Research link - You don’t need 10,000 steps to see benefits. In a large study of older women, around 4,400 steps/day was associated with lower mortality vs around 2,700 steps/day, with benefits levelling off at roughly 7,500 steps/day. (JAMA Network)
Research link - More steps, better mood (on average). A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis (33 studies, 96,173 adults) found higher daily steps were associated with fewer depressive symptoms, and 7,000+ steps/day was linked with a lower risk of depression (RR 0.69). Each extra 1,000 steps/day was associated with lower risk (RR 0.91). (JAMA Network)
Research link - Small increases can matter, especially from “near zero”. A large dose-response meta-analysis (196 articles, 30+ million participants) found big risk reductions as activity rises up to the guideline level of about 150 minutes/week moderate-to-vigorous activity, with smaller gains beyond that. (PubMed) Research link
A simple way to start this week
- Pick one challenge (steps, kilometres, or the Capital Ring sections)
- Choose a “default walk” you can repeat 2 to 3 times a week
- Add one “curiosity walk” at weekends, new park, new high street, new bit of river
- Sign up for London Walking Festival updates
