Walk This May returns

A local walking challenge in western England is coming back in May 2026, and last year people in Herefordshire and Worcestershire logged more than 4,700 miles together on free guided walks. The organisers are bringing it back after saying the 2025 total reached 4,723.18 miles, or about 89 crossings of the 53-mile border between the two counties. (herefordshire.gov.uk, publicnow.com) The 2026 version is being run by Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire with Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council. The pitch is simple: people of any age or ability can join walks during National Walking Month instead of signing up for a race, a gym plan, or specialist kit. (herefordshire.gov.uk, activehw.co.uk) This is not a hiking festival built around long countryside treks. The official walk options have been described as free, guided routes over easy ground at a steady pace, with lengths ranging from 10 minutes to 90 minutes and access by foot or public transport. (worcestershire.gov.uk, herefordtimes.com) The challenge grew out of a very local idea: walk the length of the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border without anyone needing to do all 53 miles alone. In 2025, the campaign asked residents to see how many times they could collectively cover that 53-mile distance between Monday, May 12, and Sunday, May 25. (gloucesternewscentre.co.uk, herefordtimes.com) That border matters because the campaign is deliberately shared across two neighboring counties rather than tied to one town or one park. A person joining in Worcester, Kidderminster, Hereford, or a smaller village is adding to the same running total. (herefordshire.gov.uk, activehw.co.uk) The organisers are also using existing community walking groups instead of building a new event from scratch. Earlier versions were delivered through Herefordshire Wellbeing Walks groups and Worcestershire Health Walks, which means the challenge plugs into routes and volunteers that already meet regularly. (gloucesternewscentre.co.uk, activehw.co.uk) That makes the barrier to entry unusually low. The councils describe the walks as suitable for regular walkers and new joiners alike, which is very different from events that assume people can already run 5 kilometers or spend hours outdoors. (worcestershire.gov.uk, herefordshire.gov.uk) There is also a public-health angle behind it. A regional walking site citing Sport England’s Active Lives Survey said 50 percent of adults in Herefordshire and 45 percent in Worcestershire already walk regularly or fairly regularly, both above the 43 percent national average, so officials are trying to turn an existing habit into a bigger shared event. (walkingsports.com) For 2026, the message from local officials is less about competition than routine: lace up, join a local walk, and add your miles to the county total. If the turnout looks anything like 2025, a small challenge built around 10-minute to 90-minute walks could again turn into thousands of miles of foot traffic across two counties. (herefordshire.gov.uk, kidderminstershuttle.co.uk)