Walking events & gear

Walking is getting a full-month push in England this May, with Greater Manchester and North Somerset both rolling out free public events as media outlets steer readers toward everyday walking gear. (ilovemanchester.com) (northsomersettimes.co.uk) (runnersworld.com) Greater Manchester’s GM Walking Festival is scheduled to run from May 1 to May 31, 2026, with more than 350 free events across the city region during National Walking Month. Greater Manchester Moving said the program is coordinated with community groups, charities and local organizations, and this year’s theme is “Celebrating Connected Communities.” (ilovemanchester.com) (gmmoving.co.uk) North Somerset Walk Fest is also set for May, with guided walks, walking sports and themed routes of up to six miles for people of “all ages and abilities,” according to the North Somerset Times. Better Health North Somerset said its week-by-week program includes daily activities around the area. (northsomersettimes.co.uk) (betterhealthns.co.uk) The two festivals are tied to National Walking Month, which has become a ready-made calendar hook for councils, health teams and activity groups trying to turn walking into a regular habit. In Greater Manchester, organizers are pairing “walking and wheeling” in the same festival language, signaling that accessibility is part of the pitch, not an add-on. (ilovemanchester.com) (gmmoving.co.uk) North Somerset is making the same public-health case in more local terms. The council-backed Better Health program says its health-walk network already welcomes more than 300 regular walkers a week across places including Clevedon, Nailsea, Portishead and Weston-super-Mare, with volunteer-led walks lasting up to 60 minutes. (betterhealthns.co.uk) The gear side of the story is moving in parallel. Runner’s World has published a 2026 “Best Walking Shoes” list centered on comfort and everyday support, though the article was not fully accessible through search tools; the publication’s store pages say its product recommendations are tied to field testing and may include commission on some outside-vendor products. (runnersworld.com) (store.runnersworld.com 1) (store.runnersworld.com 2) Greater Manchester’s festival is also adding new routes through a partnership with The Scott Trust’s Legacies of Enslavement program, which commissioned four walking and wheeling routes for the 2026 event. That gives this year’s schedule a second layer: not just exercise and social walks, but place-based routes tied to local history. (gmmoving.co.uk) North Somerset’s organizers are keeping the offer broad rather than specialized. A program PDF for this year’s Walk Fest lists accessible routes, dog-friendly options and family-friendly activities alongside longer challenge-style walks. (betterhealthns.co.uk 1) (betterhealthns.co.uk 2) The immediate next step is simple: both festivals open their May calendars to the public, while walking-shoe coverage tries to capture the people who want equipment before they join in. The pitch in both cases is the same one organizers have settled on — make walking easy to start, free to try and close to home. (ilovemanchester.com) (betterhealthns.co.uk)