MORE than 57,000 miles have been covered in June thanks to a new exercise challenge.

Beat the Street has been running in Salisbury and Amesbury since the beginning of June, and at the halfway stage has 10,000 players taking part, together conquering more than 57,000 miles on foot, on bikes and on scooters so far.

The aim of the challenge is to find out which schools, communities and businesses can travel the furthest, while being a fun, free competition encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

One participant involved in the scheme said: “I thought we did lots of walking anyway, but it has made us realise we can easily do more and the kids are really enjoying it.”

During the month players are rewarded with points and prizes for exploring their town on foot or bicycle, by tapping one of the 100 Beat Boxes on lampposts scattered throughout Salisbury and Amesbury.

John Thomson, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for public health and public protection, said the scheme has been a "huge success" so far, adding: “If you haven’t taken up the challenge yet, there’s still time to get involved, and we look forward to breaking the 100,000-mile barrier in the next few weeks.”

Tracy Daszkiewicz, director of public health, added: “It’s fantastic that so many people are enjoying Beat the Street in Salisbury and Amesbury.

“The game is making a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of both young and old in South Wiltshire, and we hope that it will bring about long-term change in the activity levels of people in the area.”

The competition will be running until July 1.

For more information and to join in the fun, visit the Beat the Street website.