More than 20,000 players are taking part in Beat the Street Sheffield, where people will earn points by walking, running and cycling.
Beat the Street Sheffield is a free game that has been organised by Sheffield City Council and Move More to encourage people of all ages and abilities to get active by transforming the city into a giant game.
The aim of the game is to earn as many points as possible to win team or individual prizes. Points can be earned by walking, running and cycling between Beat Boxes from June 16th until July 28th.
As of 2pm on June 16th, 23,106 people are registered players and more than 4000 miles have already been covered in Sheffield.
Mother of two, Rachael West, found out about Beat the Street Sheffield from her son’s school, who provided her with information on how to play as well as a card and map.
She said: “It’s a great game for kids, such a great way to keep them active whilst having fun.
“The beat boxes are super easy to find; we looked at the map this morning before school to see the one we could pass. It’s easy to use the map online as well, it gives you a description of where the box is and how far you are from it.”
Nearly 500 Beat Boxes have been placed throughout the city; these boxes are contactless sensors that have been placed on lamp posts to help track how far a player has travelled.
Greg Fell, director of Public Health in Sheffield, told Sheffnews: “We are incredibly excited to be bringing Beat the Street to Sheffield.
“We know that one of the best things people can do right now for their physical and mental health is to move more and to get out into green space where possible, and Beat the Street really helps people do just that in a safe and enjoyable way.”
Aside from Sheffield, Beat the Street has games ongoing all over England, including in Barnsley, Leicester and Taunton.
Players hold their game card or fob over a sensor and then another sensor within the hour to register the distance they have travelled and earn points.
Children aged 11 or under can play with a Beat the Street fob from their school, but anyone aged 12 and over can play with a Beat the Street card.
Players can track their progress on their online account or check the leaderboard to see how well their school is doing.
