Beyond the journeys themselves, Walk True is developing an ambitious long-term research programme to better understand the impact of long-distance walking on human health and wellbeing.
 

We are currently exploring collaborations with leading researchers in fields including human physiology, health, adaptation and long-distance walking to design a large-scale pilot study.
 

The proposed pilot would follow approximately 300 participants undertaking long-distance walking journeys on routes such as the Camino de Santiago and the Via Francigena.
 

The goal is to collect and analyse physiological, psychological and behavioural data before, during and after the journeys in order to better understand how extended walking influences human health, resilience, wellbeing and personal transformation.
 

While many people report profound changes after walking long distances, surprisingly little research has examined these experiences through large-scale, real-world studies.
 

Our ambition is to help build a stronger scientific understanding of this phenomenon.
 

This pilot would represent the first step in a broader research programme designed to explore how structured long-distance walking experiences could contribute to prevention, wellbeing and healthy ageing.
 

In the long term, our vision is to help establish a scientific foundation that may allow long-distance walking programmes to be considered as evidence-based tools for public health and prevention.
 

We believe that one of humanity's oldest activities may hold important answers to some of today's most pressing health challenges.