What was your new year’s resolution? And now we’re halfway through the year, how are you doing sticking with it?
Ask that question of our Bridge Team and they’ll tell you they’ve stepped up to the challenge they set themselves and are embracing a new level of activity for 2024.
Back in the dark days of winter the trio devised the Bridge Walk Challenge, an approximately 2024km virtual route taking in 19 structures around the UK. The team used mapping tools to work out a route between the bridges that was both logical and long enough to be a challenge – making it a total of 2,024km for 2024.
Then on 1 January they all started walking, virtually leaving Rochester Bridge behind and setting out on their fitness adventure.
Bridge Project Manager Kate Castle explains: “We decided we needed to get moving a bit more and as we enjoy coming up with random ideas, the Bridge Walk Challenge was born.
“We all picked some of our favourite bridges to use as virtual milestones. These could be places where we’ve worked and also bridges we find pleasing or have already visited, the important thing was to give us fun goals to walk or run towards.”
With six months of the challenge now complete, the team have each individually covered more than half of the distance, with James covering 1,467km, Kate 1,100km, and Helen 1,182km.
Director of Bridges James Booth said: “It’s become an enjoyable challenge and team building exercise. We soon ‘passed’ Tower Bridge, then Westminster Bridge, which Kate and I have both worked on, before whizzing past Guildford Town Bridge, one of my projects. It’s a great way to keep us motivated and moving.”
The team are each taking their own approach to the challenge, with James and Kate counting all steps – Kate has used this as opportunity to take on Couch To 5k to get running – and Helen only counting “boots on” walking.
As the more dedicated walker, Helen has already completed a few significant long distance walks, including Hadrian’s Wall and the Cumbria Way. She’s using this challenge as a way to help her training towards the Kent Downs 50 Ultra Challenge in October.
In total 19 bridges were selected for the challenge. The full list of virtual landmarks is: Rochester Bridge, Tower Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Guildford Town Bridge, Tamar Bridge, Clifton Suspension Bridge, Pontypridd Bridge, Iron Bridge, Bennerley Viaduct, Trinity Bridge, Humber Bridge, Skeldergate Bridge, Ribblehead Viaduct, Pooley Bridge, Willowford Bridge, Tyne Bridge, Forth Bridges, Craigellachie Bridge and Kessock Bridge. For those wondering about the two different names, a viaduct is a type of bridge that connects two elevated points.
