Andy Devaney
If your New Year’s resolutions usually collapse faster than a cheap deckchair, there’s a simple fix that doesn’t require a monk’s discipline or a celebrity chef’s spiraliser. Then you need to heed London Sports’ latest advice – Sign up for a fitness challenge—a 5k, 10k or something longer—and you’re suddenly far more likely to keep your 2026 promise to move more, sweat a bit, and maybe stop lying to yourself about “starting next week”.
That’s the headline message from a new national poll commissioned by London Sport, the charity focused on helping people live longer, healthier and happier lives through being active. The survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by Opinium, suggests that the act of committing—properly committing, with a date in the diary—can make the difference between a fleeting burst of January ambition and a habit that survives beyond the month.
The numbers that make January look less hopeless
According to the poll findings:
- 42% of people who sign up for a fitness event stick with their resolution beyond January, compared with 10% of those who don’t.
- 14% of respondents say they usually break their resolutions before mid-January.
- 26% say having a challenge or event to train for keeps them motivated.
- 40% say fundraising for charity would make them more committed.
In plain English: most of us mean well, many of us fail early, and a looming start line has an uncanny ability to drag you off the sofa when your willpower is sulking in the corner.
The real trick isn’t motivation. It’s structure.
Behavioural science has been shouting this for years, but we keep trying to out-stare human nature like it’s a rival golfer on the 18th green. People tend to maintain habits when they have structure, social accountability and a clear deadline—all built neatly into a charity fitness challenge. You don’t have to “feel motivated” every day; you just have to keep turning up because the calendar says so and your mates know you said you’d do it.
London Sport is leaning into that logic by encouraging Londoners to turn short-lived resolutions into long-term behaviour change via its Run for Charity places, spanning 5k, 10k and longer events. The hook is simple: you train for something real, you fundraise for a cause, and you give your January good intentions a backbone.
Three kinds of resolution-maker (and none of them are immune)
The poll also suggests Britons fall into three broad camps when it comes to 2026 fitness goals:
1) Inactive starters (20%)
People currently doing little or no activity who simply want to get moving for the first time.
2) Semi-active challengers (18%)
Those doing some activity and considering a first organised challenge—often a 5k or 10k.
3) Active adventurers (15%)
Already active individuals looking for something bigger: half-marathon, marathon or endurance events.
Different starting points, same conclusion: a clear goal or event makes it far more likely you’ll stay active for longer. The fitness challenge doesn’t care whether you’re walking your first 5k or chasing a marathon PB—it just gives your effort a destination.
London Sport CEO: “Behaviour change isn’t about willpower”
Emily Robinson, CEO at London Sport—and a key figure behind the creation and national success of Dry January during her time at Alcohol Concern—says the data matches what behaviour-change campaigns have long observed.
“Every January, millions of people make promises to themselves, but our polling shows how quickly resolutions can slip without the right structures. Behaviour change isn’t about willpower – it’s about creating the conditions that make the desired behaviour easier and more rewarding.
“In my time leading the development of Dry January, we saw firsthand that people are far more likely to succeed when they commit to something publicly, have a clear goal, and feel part of a supportive community. The same principles apply to physical activity.
Whether you’re taking your first steps into being active, training for your first 5k, or tackling a marathon, signing up to a charity event gives you accountability, a deadline and a purpose. That combination dramatically increases your chances of sticking with your resolutions – and supporting others to be active too”.
It’s difficult to argue with that. A goal without a plan is a wish. A plan without a date is a polite fantasy. A fitness challenge gives you the date—and, crucially, a reason not to wriggle out of it when January stops feeling shiny.
The added nudge: fundraising
The poll also points to a powerful motivator that many people underestimate: purpose. Two in five respondents said fundraising for charity would make them more committed. That makes intuitive sense—because skipping a session stops being “just you letting you down” and becomes “you letting down the people you told, the cause you chose, and the donations you hoped to raise”. Suddenly, your trainers aren’t just shoes; they’re a promise.
How to turn a resolution into a habit (without becoming unbearable)
If you’re trying to make 2026 the year you actually keep the promise, the formula is unglamorous but effective:
- Pick an event that fits your current reality (not your fantasy self).
- Put the date in the diary. Tell someone.
- Follow a simple training plan.
- Use the fitness challenge as the anchor—your weeks orbit around it.
- If you can, fundraise. Purpose is rocket fuel.
London Sport is calling on Londoners—whatever their activity level—to sign up for Run for Charity places across 5k, 10k, half-marathon and marathon events, with money raised supporting people in low-income communities to enjoy the benefits of physical activity.
Find out more and sign up: https://runforcharity.com/london-sport
