How to Sign Up for Movement 26.2
Not yet. The NHS-backed Movement 26.2 walking scheme was announced on 3 July 2026. It's due to launch by January 2027, but sign-up itself hasn't opened. What's confirmed: it will be free, and you'll log walks through an online platform, phone, or smartwatch. We'll update this page the moment more details land.
Can you sign up for Movement 26.2 yet?
Part of our Movement 26.2 guide. Last updated: 4 July 2026.
No. As of 4 July 2026, there is no live sign-up page for Movement 26.2. The scheme was only announced on 3 July 2026, and neither NHS England nor the Great Run Company has opened registration.
If you come across a website or app claiming to be the official Movement 26.2 sign-up page, be careful. No official page exists yet. We haven't linked to one here because there isn't one, and we won't guess at a web address just to look useful. When a real one appears, we'll link it and make it the main source on this page within a day.
The scheme grows out of the government's 10 Year Health Plan for England. That plan committed to a new health reward scheme to encourage healthier choices, plus a Great Run Company campaign to get more people moving. Movement 26.2 is how that promise is starting to take shape.
What's confirmed and still unclear about Movement 26.2?
Here is everything reported so far, split into what's actually confirmed and what's still a gap. This table is the most useful part of this page, and we'll keep it current as real news lands.
| What we're asking | Confirmed | Still to be confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| When does it launch? | By January 2027 (Eastern Eye and TechRadar) | The exact sign-up date, and whether registration opens before launch |
| What's the participation target? | More than 100,000 people to sign up and complete the challenge in a single month during 2027 (Eastern Eye, LBC) | n/a |
| Does it cost anything? | Free, with no entry fee (LBC) | n/a |
| How do you log walks? | Through an online platform, a phone, or a smartwatch (BBC) | Whether it's a dedicated Movement 26.2 app, a feature inside the NHS App, or something else |
| What are the rewards? | Start as digital streaks and badges, later moving to vouchers, discounts, and medals (LBC) | Which shops are involved, and what the rewards are worth |
| Where do you register? | n/a | The actual sign-up page or process |
| Who can join? | n/a | Age, location, or health eligibility rules |
Nothing in that right-hand column is a guess dressed up as fact. When an answer is confirmed, it moves to the left with a source attached.
For the reward rows specifically, our NHS points and rewards guide tracks every detail as it's confirmed.
When does Movement 26.2 start?
Movement 26.2 is due to launch by January 2027, according to Eastern Eye and TechRadar. The BBC's report is a little more cautious, saying only that it will launch "early next year", without naming a specific month.
Either way, that leaves several months between now and launch. Organisers are aiming for more than 100,000 people to sign up and complete the challenge in a single month during 2027. Eastern Eye reports they hope that target will make it "the biggest marathon in history".
How will Movement 26.2 sign-up work?
Nobody has said yet. According to the BBC, participants will log their walks through an online platform, a phone, or a smartwatch. It hasn't been confirmed whether that means a dedicated Movement 26.2 app, a new feature inside the existing NHS App, or a connection to fitness trackers you already use.
TechRadar's reporting suggests the scheme is being designed to work with common devices like Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Garmin, alongside a plain phone on its own. That's a reasonable sign of where things are heading, not a confirmed feature list, so treat it as a good guess rather than a promise.
Full sign-up details are expected later in 2026. This page will be updated as soon as those details are confirmed, and we'll say plainly if anything here turns out to be wrong.
What will you need to take part in Movement 26.2?
Probably just a phone. Both the BBC and TechRadar describe Movement 26.2 as logging walks through a phone or a smartwatch, with no smartwatch required. If you already carry a phone on your walks, you're likely covered.
It won't cost you anything either. LBC reports that Movement 26.2 is free to join, with no entry fee.
There's also no daily minimum, which is useful to know while you're planning. Only the monthly total of 26.2 miles counts, TechRadar reports. A quiet Tuesday or a missed week won't cost you your place. That means you can build the habit in whatever way suits your week, rather than waiting for a perfect daily routine.
Who will be able to join Movement 26.2?
Not announced yet. Nobody has published eligibility rules covering age, location, or health conditions. We'd expect it to be open to adults generally, but that's a guess too — treat anything more specific you read anywhere, including here, as speculation.
What we do know is the scale organisers are hoping for: more than 100,000 participants in a single month during 2027 (see the table above). That scale points toward a wide, low-barrier scheme, not a small trial for one group. If you're wondering whether Movement 26.2 is realistic for someone who hasn't exercised in years, this suggests it's being built with exactly that person in mind.
How can you get ready before sign-up opens?
You don't have to wait for an official sign-up page to start. Everything the scheme will eventually ask of you is something you can build now, at no cost and no risk of missing out later. That's a walking habit, a way of logging it, and a sense of what 26.2 miles means for you.
Walk a little most days
You don't need to hit 26.2 miles this month to get ready for a scheme that starts next year. Building a short daily walk into your week now means the habit is already there when sign-up opens. Our beginner's guide to walking a marathon a month has a gentle week-by-week plan for building up.
Pick an app and build the logging habit
Whatever Movement 26.2 uses for sign-up, a habit of tracking your walks will help. Motion is a free app that logs your steps automatically and works alongside the NHS Movement 26.2 challenge. That means you can start counting toward your own marathon now, points scheme or not. Our best apps for Movement 26.2 walkers roundup compares your options honestly.
Work out what 26.2 miles means for you
26.2 miles across a month comes to well under a mile a day on average, and the scheme is reported to check only your monthly total. Our walking calculator turns your own pace into minutes and steps, so you know roughly what you're aiming for before sign-up even opens.
Movement 26.2 sign-up: frequently asked questions
If you have anything else you want to ask, reach out to us.
Can I register my interest anywhere?
Not as far as we can find. As of 4 July 2026, no official waiting list or interest form exists for Movement 26.2.
Will there be a Movement 26.2 app?
It hasn't been confirmed. The BBC says the scheme will use an online platform, a phone, or a smartwatch for logging walks. Whether that means a standalone Movement 26.2 app, a feature added to the NHS App, or something else hasn't been announced. Anything more specific than that is speculation, including guesses you might see elsewhere.
Does it cost anything to join?
No. LBC reports that Movement 26.2 is free to join, with no entry fee.
Who is eligible for Movement 26.2?
Not yet announced. No eligibility criteria covering age, location, or health conditions have been published. We'll update this page plainly as soon as that changes, rather than guessing in the meantime.
More on Movement 26.2
Movement 26.2: what it is and how it works
The full explainer: who's behind the scheme, what it asks of you, the confirmed facts, and everything still to be announced.
Read moreBest apps to track Movement 26.2
An honest comparison of Motion and other tracking apps for logging a marathon a month, including what the scheme will likely accept.
Read moreWalking a marathon a month: beginner's guide
A gentle four-week build-up plan for reaching 26.2 miles a month, plus what to do when you miss a few days.
Read more
Start your marathon this month, free to join
Motion is free to download and turns every walk into visible progress toward your own marathon. It works alongside the NHS Movement 26.2 challenge without being an official partner, so you don't have to wait for sign-up to open. See our beginner's guide for a gentle way to start this week.
