STARKVILLE — Walkers in the city are once again on the move, battling it out for the highest step count.

The Greater Starkville Development Partnership’s annual six-week step competition, Starkville Stride, just kicked off on March 1.

Director of Membership Development Hunter Harrington, who originally helped to create the challenge during the pandemic, said Starkville Stride was designed to help facilitate community bonding and wellness, though it is fun to watch the competition get lively.

“People get really competitive,” Harrington said. “It’s really fun to see their banter back and forth. I just think that that helps encourage more activity.”

Over the next six weeks, registered walkers will use the MoveSpring app to sign up with a team. These teams are divided into small, medium and large divisions.

Each division will compete for a trophy at the end of the competition, while individuals in different step categories will be “in the running” in drawings for door prizes from local businesses each week, Harrington said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Harrington told The Dispatch the challenge had more than 570 participants, though registration was still open and numbers were rising every few minutes. At the time, there were 63 teams registered.

While both collaboration and competition makes the challenge fun, Harrington said the ultimate goal is to help citizens get active– even herself.

“I just feel like it brings attention to how much somebody moves throughout the day,” Harrington said. “I know I’m a desk sitter and so it really opens my eyes to how much I sit, and it gets me to get up and move around every couple of minutes.”

Harrington said Starkville Stride also provides virtual and in-person programming from health and wellness organizations in the city throughout the challenge.

OCH Regional Medical Center Wellness Connection Health Promotions Coordinator Elaine Schimpf has participated in Starkville Stride since the very beginning, both as a stepper and in providing programming.

While Schimpf encourages healthy habits in her job every day, she said the Starkville Stride competition helps to motivate participants to get more steps through community and competition.

“Heart health is important for all ages,” she said. “… For heart health, mental health, physical health– obviously, it’ll make your body stronger– you’re getting benefits to all those things.”

According to the American Heart Association, walking at a brisk pace at least 150 minutes a week can help with reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and several types of cancer, along with improving blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels. It can also increase energy and stamina and improve mental and emotional wellbeing.

Each year, Schimpf said, she has participated on a different team, as her step count is always in “high demand,” since she gets a lot of steps in teaching her classes at the Wellness Connection.

This year, Schimpf is on a team with her OCH Regional Medical Center coworkers, and she said she plans to encourage them to get their steps in through a group chat on the MoveSpring app and encouraging others to come to classes at the Wellness Connection.

“We are offering for Starkville Stride participants– not just my team, but anybody– can come here during the month of March and work out here as a perk to being a Stride participant,” she said. “That helps to encourage people to walk.”

Schimpf also reminded participants that if they don’t like walking, they can also add steps to the app after they swim, bike, complete strength training or complete other workouts.

Harrington said Starkville Stride’s program partners for the year include OCH Regional Medical Center, Mississippi State University and the City of Starkville Parks and Recreation Department.

Registration for Starkville Stride is available on the Partnership’s website.

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