Date: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Outside Colchester Castle, Castle Park, CO1 1TJ
Our Special Guests
Alongside students from our local schools, we are delighted to welcome the Mayor of Colchester, Councillor Michael Lilley, and Town Crier Rennie Chivers for a traditional ceremonial start. The morning continues with inspiration from mental health runner Shawn Leek, who will demonstrate the game in action and invite you to join him for the very first guided walk of the season.
In the spirit of community sport, we will have four local mascots – Eddie the Eagle (Colchester United), Ellie the Eagle (Essex Cricket), Queen B (Essex Rebels), and Beattie the Hedgehog (Beat the Street) – will also be joining us to help kick off the campaign. The SOS Bus will also be on-site offering free health checks to residents throughout the event.
What is Beat the Street
Beat the Street is a free, fun competition designed to encourage everyone in the community to get more active by turning Colchester into a real-life physical activity game. Running from 11 March to 22 April, participants earn points for their teams by walking, cycling, wheeling, or scooting between more than 140 Beat Boxes – the contactless sensors located on lampposts throughout the city.
It’s not just about topping the leader board; your active travel could also win you some fantastic rewards! Prizes include family passes and tickets for local favourites such as Colchester Museums, Essex Rebels, Mercury Theatre, Aqua Springs, and the Colchester Zoo Stampede, plus much more.
Cllr Jocelyn Law, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Public Protection said: “Beat the Street is a brilliant way to bring our community together through physical activity. We encourage everyone to attend the launch to learn more about how to participate and to support our collective goal of a more active Colchester.”
Join the free, fun game here at Colchester | Beat the Street.