The countdown to your Trek26 has begun! We want you to have the best experience possible on your trek. That means you'll need to put in some hard work before you get to the start line.
Here you'll find everything you need to help you prepare.
Download your bespoke Trek26 training plan to kickstart your training
Having the right kit for your trek is so important. Check out our handy kit list for everything you need to smash your challenge.
Check your route map as a reminder of what to expect from your Trek26 challenge.
Strava is a free app and website that allows you to track your training. You can also share and compare your trekking activity with others!
We've created a unique Trek26 Strava Club for you to use. Connect with your Trek26 community and celebrate your training progress. Maybe you'll feel inspired by others' milestones and top tips.
Rack up those miles and you might even secure yourself a spot on the leader board!
Both the 26 and 13 mile routes start and finish at Eel Brook Common, Fulham and head out to the river Thames. The routes then head into the heart of London where you will see some of the iconic London landmarks including Battersea Power Station, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Tower of London before heading back west through the Royal Parks. The 26 mile route will finish back along the Thames River Walk before arriving back at Eel Brook Common.
All Trek26 events will require you to train and prepare well in advance. Our events are challenging but achievable, providing you put the training in ahead of event day. It's important to start training as early as possible. This will help to avoid any unexpected injuries or complications on the day of your trek.
Your safety is our top priority, so it's important you know what to expect ahead of your Trek26. It will be a challenge, but we know you've got what it takes!
This route is categorised as moderate and the terrain is reflective of this. The route is mostly flat with very little hilly sections.
The 13 mile route has a total elevation gain of 47m, and the 26 mile route has a total elevation gain of 172m.
You’ll trek on well-trodden pavement which will be hard underfoot, so comfortable and supportive footwear will be essential to avoid blisters or injuries. As we are trekking around London prepare to come by tourists and locals, and some parts of the route may be congested.
Steve has tackled an impressive nine 26-mile trekking challenges for Alzheimer's Society since 2017. In 2024, he took on the rugged terrain of Trek26 North York Moors and Eryri (Snowdonia), raising an incredible £1,600 in an effort to stop dementia from devastating lives.
Over the years, Steve has gained invaluable experience and perfected his Trek26 training schedule. Check out Steve's top tips and advice to help you prepare for your Trek26 challenge .
“ Before the first walk (Yorkshire Three Peaks) just after my dad had died, I had done nothing at all like this.
My training is something I put together over time. I start normally nine weeks before. I travel to a location that mirrors the terrain, initially looking at doing a 6-mile walk, increasing weekly and peaking no greater than 15 miles. I do that distance at least twice and then have a rest week the week before. ”
1. Train in what you plan in walking in on the day. Boots, trousers, rucksack and its’ contents including water and energy drinks.
2. Over the training period you will learn preventative techniques such as where you get a regular ache or pain, where and what to strap up, hot spots in your boots… you need to find what works for you.
3. It’s a matter of making the time. Don’t start training sooner than you need to or it can become a chore. Go early in the morning so you have the rest of the day and overtime you will feel your fitness improving and you start to feel a sense of achievement.
4. When I look at the walk I don’t see it as 26 miles. I look at it as four stops, which in my head works. Getting to lunch is only two stops to go!
“ My motivation comes from the reasons for doing this. Having lost both parents to dementia, I see this as a small payback to the suffering they endured.
The whole experience of the day, from the alarm going off at 4.15am, the drive to the start and watching the crowd build, listening to the stories and looking at the personal pictures, the support given at each stop and the public on route.
The finish is something special with people you have never met cheering you across the line, the infamous medal photo, the relief of getting your boots off and meeting up with your loved ones and sharing your stories all the way home. ”