A health and fitness initiative gets underway this month (July) to encourage greater participation in physical activity.

The Million Miles Challenge is inviting people to take part in activities that will contribute towards a total of one million miles of activity over a 10-week period.

The campaign is part of the 2005 Alive Festival of Sport and is supported by Nova International, the organiser of the BUPA Great North Run; NewcastleGateshead Initiative, the organisation behind the £12m 2005 Alive programme; and Sport England, which is incorporating the Challenge into the Everyday Sport campaign.

Based in the north east of England, the activity starts with the British Heart Foundation Great North Walk on Weardale, where up to 5,000 people will walk a combined distance of some 40,000 miles towards the total.

Other elements of the campaign include The Tesco Great School Run, where around 20,000 children from the region will run 1.3 miles as the culmination of a five- week curriculum-based health and fitness exercise campaign.

Businesses in the north east are also being encouraged to sign up for the challenge and get their employees moving, while Sport England is pioneering a regional programme of initiatives featuring a host of activities in which thousands of people are expected to take part.

The David Lloyd Leisure Great Mile Run and the BUPA Great North Run will also form part of the challenge, as will a host of other activities including swimming, walking and gym-based activities such as stepper and cross trainer challenges.

Richard Caborn, minister for sport, said he is pleased to support the challenge: “The support of local authorities and private companies to try and achieve this ambitious target is a real credit to the region, I wish you well and encourage everyone to join in and be part of the challenge and the Everyday Sport Campaign.” Details: www.million-miles.org