STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) - Now that the snow is finally gone, it’s almost time for Walk Wisconsin.
Walk Wisconsin is a non-competitive walking event that offers four different distance options. There’s a full 26.2 mile marathon, a 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 marathon, and no bibs, no tags, and no timers. Participants do get a commemorative t-shirt, sports sack, and a few nutritious goodies along the way.
Organizer Brant Bergeron says walking is one of best and most popular forms of exercise. “The event itself really isn’t a beginning, it’s more of an end, and our hope is that people are walking year around, they follow the training regimens, and then they use the event on June 1st as a way to celebrate walking as a healthier part of their life.”
The Walk Wisconsin event requires a little training and conditioning... but it’s not hard. “But the bottom line is, if you want to participate, don’t underestimate what it’s going to take to have fun that day, because we have seen a lot of people who have rolled out of bed and decided to walk a half marathon, and at about mile number 8, their body starts telling them they haven’t trained enough.”
All you need is a good pair of shoes, but avoid flip flops and poorly constructed shoes, get wicking socks to keep your feet comfortable, and use hats, lip balm, sunscreen to avoid sunburn
All ages are welcome during Walk Wisconsin, but they do ask you to leave pets and strollers home for safety reasons. “Some of the route is bark, some of it is stone. There are roots that you have to go over, so no strollers on the route, and we also ask that you don’t bring pets because we don’t want dogs and leashes tangled up in people’s feet as we are walking with hundreds of people out on the trail.”
Walk Wisconsin is June 1st in Stevens Point. Early bird registration ends May 13th. After that, registration goes from $25.00 up to $35.00. Register at their website or call the Stevens Point Visitor & Convention Bureau at 715-344-2556.