WITH teams like the Bradford Bulls, Bradford City or Yorkshire, you may think rugby league, football or cricket had their sporting capitals in Yorkshire.

But that’s not the case. A new survey has found the true home of hiking is in God’s Own County, with it being the most popular sport here.

Yorkshire is the home of four of Britain’s finest national trails, with the survey revealing almost one in five (17 per cent) residents regularly making the most of their beautiful surroundings.

Popular hiking trails in Yorkshire include Bolton Abbey, Ingleborough in Settle, the Grimwith Reservoir in Skipton and the Dales Way in Ilkley.

A survey of more than 7,600 UK adults published by Decathlon in the Decathlon Activity Index 2019 reveals where the nation’s favourite sports are played the most in the UK.

The survey also found London was the UK’s running capital, with 39 per cent of residents claiming to regularly participate in the sport. This may be due to the many free paths and parks on their doorsteps.

Gym fitness was found to be most popular (34 per cent) in the North West of England - home to the second largest gym in Europe, Wilmslow’s Total Fitness health club.

The UK’s favourite sport, swimming, was found to be most popular in Scotland. More than one in every four (27 per cent) Scots regularly taking part in the sport.

Surprisingly, Wales was found to be the football capital of the UK, with 18 per cent of local residents taking part in the sport on a regular basis.

The North East was found to be the most popular region for cycling, with 16 per cent of residents regularly participating in the sport.

Northern Ireland took the crown as the rugby capital, with 16 per cent of residents regularly playing; while the South East of England was most popular region for yoga and Pilates. More than one in ten (12 per cent) of residents regularly practice – and are perhaps inspired by the fantastic coastal retreats that the region offers.

In the West Midlands, (11 per cent of residents partake in racket sports, including tennis, squash and badminton.

The South West was found to be the horse riding capital of the UK, with one in 10 (10 per cent) residents regularly saddling up.

The sports capitals of the UK: 1. Running - London, 39% 2. Gym - North West, 34% 3. Swimming - Scotland, 27% 4. Football - Wales, 18% 5. Hiking - Yorkshire, 17% 6. Cycling - North East, 16% 7. Rugby - Northern Ireland, 16% 8. Yoga/Pilates - South East, 12% 9. Racket Sports (Tennis, Squash, Badminton) - West Midlands, 11% 10. Horse Riding - South West, 10%