Harcourts Walkathon records 3.86 million steps as participation reaches new high

Harcourts’ annual Walkathon has recorded 3,862,948 steps, with this year’s event showing a lift in consistency as teams across Australia and New Zealand came together to support their wellbeing during Mental Health Month.

Held from 12–18 October, the fifth annual Walkathon brought colleagues together through movement, friendly competition and shared goals. This year’s format placed greater emphasis on participation and team spirit, encouraging people to find ways to move that worked for them rather than focusing solely on who could record the most steps.

Of the 44 participants, everyone reached the 10,000-step target at least once during the week. Across all recorded participant-days, 81.3 per cent reached the daily goal, up from 69.4 per cent in 2025. The number of participants reaching 10,000 steps every day also increased, from 15 last year to 23 this year.

Harcourts Australasian Culture Ambassador Olivia Hendry (pictured) said the Walkathon had grown from its beginnings as a way to keep people connected during the pandemic into an annual opportunity for colleagues to come together.

“What started as a way to keep people moving and connected during COVID has become something we look forward to every year. I love that the Walkathon gives our teams across Australia and New Zealand a reason to get involved in something together, build healthy habits and have a bit of fun along the way,” Olivia said.

The week also recognised individual achievements and team effort. Chris Rafanan was named the overall Walkathon Champion after recording 63,890 steps in a single day on Sunday, surpassing his 2025 record of 61,112 steps in one day.

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The team competition was won by This Is Going On Strava, comprising Gabby Paki, Yash Gor, Caleb Paterson and Rita Nguyen. All four team members recorded more than 10,000 steps on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, earning three entries into the team draw before being randomly selected as the winners.

Mitch Green won the individual participation draw after reaching the 10,000-step target every day, earning the maximum seven entries. He also finished third on the overall leaderboard.

Beyond the step count, the Move Your Way Bingo challenge encouraged participants to try a range of activities, from yoga and swimming to tennis, cycling and boxing. Megan Hampton won the Bingo challenge after completing four lines on her card, while Jo Abel received the Team Spirit Award following multiple nominations for keeping her team motivated and encouraging colleagues through wind and rain.

Olivia said some of the most rewarding feedback had been about the difference the challenge made to people’s everyday routines.

“For me, what I love most about the Walkathon is hearing how it's made a difference to people beyond the step count. It's been great to see people discover that small changes to their day can add up to something meaningful,” she said.

The Walkathon reflects Harcourts’ commitment to putting people first and creating opportunities for colleagues to connect, support one another and build healthy habits that can continue beyond the event.