Dust off the walking shoes. The YMCA and The Commercial Dispatch are teaming up to sponsor the Possum Town Mile-A-Day Marathon during April.
By encouraging participants to log 26.2 miles of walking or running throughout the month, the non-competitive marathon hopes to jump-start healthier lifestyles.
“This is an opportunity to bring the community together,” said YMCA Executive Director Andy Boyd. “It”s important for Lowndes County residents to get up and get moving. A mile a day can make a big difference in your health. It”s about incorporating exercise into your daily routine.”
“Family, friends and neighbors are invited to register from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 1, at the Riverwalk,” said YMCA Community Relations Director Barbara Bigelow stated. “A kickoff walk/run will begin at 5:30 p.m., led by Mayor Robert Smith and representatives of the Y and The Dispatch.”
At the Riverwalk, participants will receive a log-in sheet for tracking daily mileage and a conversion chart that can be used to convert number of steps to mileage. Information on Lowndes County walking/running trails will also be provided.
Registration will also be available at all Lowndes County YMCA branches between March 29 and April 1. A $10 entry fee will help defray the cost of the program and provide an event T-shirt, Bigelow said.
Dispatch publisher Birney Imes, an avid walker himself, said, “We hope this event will introduce non-walkers to the pleasures of getting out in nature and walking as spring unfolds. We”re delighted to be part of an event that develops community while at the same time promotes a healthy lifestyle.”
In a 2009 survey of states by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America”s Health, Mississippi took the heavyweight title, with 32.5 percent of adults classified as obese. The state”s young people also topped their list, with 44.4 percent of children 10-17 classified as overweight or obese.
Mile-A-Day organizers hope the April marathon will encourage regular exercise, lowering those percentages that put Lowndes countians at a greater risk of diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and heart disease.
For more information about the marathon, contact the Frank P. Phillips YMCA, located at 602 Second Ave. N., at 662-328-7696.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
