Hundreds sign up to Reaching Rio exercise challenge

There’s still time to sign up for Reaching Rio, so tie up your trainers and get your gym gear on.

The annual challenge sees teams (made up of five people) from Sussex workplaces travel on a virtual journey from London to Rio de Janeiro.

Reaching Rio started last month, but it isn’t too late for teams to sign up as it runs until Sunday July 13. Just visit the website.

Any sport or physical activity counts towards the goal of reaching Rio. Teams log their activity online or on the smartphone app, and it is converted into miles to take teams on their virtual route.

From walking and running to swimming and diving, there are lots of ways to earn miles. And with bonus sports for extra miles, prizes along the route and a special prize for the team that makes it to Rio first, there’s even more encouragement to sign up.

The Reaching Rio statistics up to the start of May were:

• Total teams registered: 284

• Total activities logged: 34,292

• Total time logged: 35,258 hours and 50 minutes

• Total miles earned: 1,429,775

• Total calories burnt: 14,108,669 (that’s enough to power a Nissan Leaf electric car for approximately 56,435 miles)

Anyone can join up after completing a short lifestyle survey.

The West Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board is backing the challenge.

Chairman Christine Field said: “Although any adult can join, Reaching Rio is aimed at people who don’t currently do a lot of exercise, but want to do more by taking part in a fun challenge.

“It’s also a great topic of conversation in the workplace, especially if you have a number of teams sign up from the same place and make it much more of competition between you.”

Last year teams burned more than eight million calories between them and travelled 971,439 miles. With 284 teams already signed up to this year’s challenge, there’s no time to lose.

For more information and to sign up visit the website.