‘Beat the Street’ hits the ground running in Colchester

Beat the Street, a giant walking and cycling game, is off to a running start in Colchester with residents travelling more than 450 times the length of the River Colne in less than a week.

More than 8,000 people have walked or cycled a total of 18,000 miles in just five days as part of the initiative – a free competition which challenges people to see how far they can travel around the town in return for points and prizes.

Taking place until 8 November, Beat the Street is being organised on behalf of Colchester Borough Council and Livewell Colchester and aims to encourage thousands of people to explore the town in a bid to promote active travel.

More than 100 beeping and flashing sensors – called ‘Beat Boxes’ – have appeared across Colchester, with players encouraged to pick up a Beat the Street card from one of a number of locations and then swipe as many Beat Boxes as possible.

73 schools and teams in Colchester are competing against each other to see who can journey the furthest and win up to £400 worth of sports and fitness equipment.

After one week, St John’s Green Primary School is currently sitting top of the leaderboard with a total of 12,000 miles travelled.

Councillor Tina Bourne, portfolio holder for housing and communities at Colchester Borough Council said:

“Beat the Street has got off to a running start in Colchester.

“We are delighted to see so many people walking, running and cycling for the competition. There is still time to get involved – pick up a card from your leisure centre or library and start tapping!”

Dr William Bird, CEO and founder of Intelligent Health, said:

“The response to Beat the Street has been incredible in Colchester.

“More than a dozen towns and cities have taken part in the game so far in 2017 and Colchester is proving to be one of the most active areas Beat the Street has taken place.”

04 October 2017