Festival Challenge a perfect warm-up for Sport Relief

It’s Sport Relief week and racing got off to a flyer by getting Cheltenham Festival racegoers to put their best feet forward in the nationwide challenge to reach a billon steps each day. The community-focused target is aimed at getting everyone active and to raise money in support of good causes in the UK and overseas.

The Cheltenham Hill Challenge was the idea of Great British Racing, who launched an exciting pop up activation area on the racecourse last week. Racefans were invited to take part in climbing a new version of the famous Hill, recreated on two treadmills positioned and set to the gradient of the tough incline faced by the runners and riders.

Throughout the Festival, people jumped on the treadmill, including ITV presenter Oli Bell who posed for the above picture, to help contribute to the step tally, which ended on 13,802,544 steps.

Rod Street, Chief Executive of Great British Racing, said: “We are very proud to be a part of Sport Relief this year and be supporting the charity in getting the public moving. Racing is the second biggest spectator sport in the UK and so it’s great to be involved. Racegoers that headed to The Festival will not have anticipated having their chance to take on the famous Cheltenham Hill.”

Following on from the success of the Cheltenham Hill Challenge various racing organisations are taking part in the billion step challenge during Sport Relief week.