Success StoryWALKTober Participants Just Keep Logging Miles and Steps
WALKTober Participants Just Keep Logging Miles and Steps
Author: Dayna Fentress
Planning Unit: Hardin County CES
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Plan of Work: Active Living and Health Promotion
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
Participants were again allowed to log steps or miles, and were also allowed to count miles if they swam or biked. This was in response to participants in the past wanting to count more than just their steps, but it also allowed for a lot of new participants who bike, but may not run or walk regularly. The motto for WALKtober is "All steps are good steps."
Social media posts were made to promote the event, as well as throughout the month to motivate and encourage participants to walk in all weather conditions.
More than 3 million steps and 194 miles were reported. Miles that were reported were calculated at an average of 2,500 steps per mile.
At 3,788,110 steps, 19 participants logged an average of:





Since 2019, comments continue to be made on how the challenge motivated participants to walk more than normal, or how participants would never have walked on certain days if it were for the challenge. We were asked to do more challenges in the future in random months as well. We have had multiple WALKtober participants who have been with us since the beginning and continue to ask for it again each year!
We have begun tracking improvements in mental health as well as physical. A large number of participants report seeing an increase in their moods and mental health because of the daily habit of walking. Many of our participants continue to walk after WALKtober is over because of the positive effects they notice.
One participant began walking in 2019 and reported that because of the walking alone, she was able to stop taking three different medications. In 2024, she was still off all three medications because WALKtober started her habit of daily walking.
A large majority of participants reported an increase in not only their physical health, but a major positive impact on their mental health as well.
One participant in 2019 praised WALKtober for finding her kidney tumor. She is still tumor free in 2024 and continues to walk and thank WALKtober for the life saving habit.
One participant couldn't believe the positive effects on her mental health. She reported enjoying the physical health benefits, but not nearly as much as the mental health. She had fewer days of suffering from depression, more energy, more focus, and fewer anxiety attacks.
Another participant reported more energy, more productivity, and better mental health.
Another participant reported losing 5 pounds within the month and having a noticeably smaller stomach. By July 2025, this participant still maintained her new walking habit and said she felt younger than ever.
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