UK’s biggest active travel challenge returns

Children are invited to take on the UK’s biggest walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling challenge to help change the future of travel.

A record 240 schools in Wales have signed up to take part in the challenge, beating the number of registered schools from last year’s campaign.

Sustrans’ Big Walk and Wheel, sponsored by Schwalbe Tyres UK Limited, takes place from 24th March to 4th April 2025 and inspires children across the country to make active journeys, boosting physical and mental health, improving air quality and discovering how individual actions make a difference.

The challenge is open to all primary and secondary schools in the UK, including special educational needs, additional support needs and additional learning needs schools. It is free to take part and there are daily prizes to be won.

New research¹ by Sustrans reveals that while, positively, 62% of children walk, wheel or scoot five or more days a week, more than half (54%) travel by car or van five or more days a week.

Rachel Toms, Director of Urbanism and UK Programmes at Sustrans, says:

“People want a choice in how they get around, and the popularity of Sustrans’ Big Walk and Wheel is testament to the many benefits of travelling actively – from improved health and concentration in children to a reduction in congestion and air pollution.

“Our latest research gives us a clear picture: children want to walk and cycle. Sustrans is committed to working with communities to overcome existing travel barriers and the Big Walk and Wheel is a catalyst for change.

“It’s so inspiring to see the many thousands of children from schools across the country who participate, and we can’t wait to see this year’s Big Walk and Wheel transform the school run.”

Sustrans’ research also highlights a significant gender gap among children cycling, with only 17% of girls cycling five or more times a week compared to 28% of boys.

The report shows children want to travel more actively and identifies huge potential to improve access to cycling, enabling more girls and boys to cycle at a young age and reap the long-term health, economic and social benefits.

The Big Walk and Wheel supports children and their families to choose walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling for the journey to school and form habits that can last a lifetime.

There are resources for schools and those taking part in the competition, as well as prizes on offer for primary and secondary schools that log their pupils’ active journeys to school.

Tim Ward, UK Marketing Manager of Schwalbe Tyres, says:

“Now in our fourth year of supporting Big Walk & Wheel, we are tremendously encouraged by how much this event has developed and progressed since we started our involvement with this valuable initiative. 

“The focus that Big Walk & Wheel brings to encouraging both school children and parents alike to actively consider and participate in sustainable transport efforts cannot be underestimated. Pollution aside, we are all aware of the amount of traffic congestion that can be associated with the school run, especially in dense urban areas. 

“Encouraging children to travel to school in a sustainable way, whether in organised groups such as the Bike Bus concept that we support with the ‘FRideDays’ bike bus initiative, or individually, can ultimately only benefit the health and wellbeing of everyone.”

Sustrans’ recent report shows there is still a heavy reliance on cars and vans for getting to school. It also reveals the majority of pupils (82% of primary-aged children and 79% of secondary) support more traffic-free paths for walking, wheeling and cycling.

This suggests that a much bigger proportion young people would travel actively if there were more traffic-free and low-traffic routes in their area.

Facts and figures from last year’s Big Walk and Wheel:

• 2,389,015 active travel journeys were completed as part of the Big Walk and Wheel 2024 – this is equivalent to 14 trips to the moon.
• 561,794 pupils participated in 2024.
• If the children had travelled to school by car instead, this would have accounted for 1,730,486 kg of CO2 emissions²* – enough to fill 8,124 single decker buses.

Can you help us beat last year’s total and make this year’s Big Walk and Wheel the biggest ever?

UK National Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman says:

“The Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel challenge is a fantastic opportunity for kids to give cycling to school a go. We know that young people want to travel more actively and so this challenge has enormous potential for children to form new habits that will stick, meaning we’re building healthier and greener communities for the future.” 

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