Where is WALK! Magazine

The 2007 Best City for Walker is Flint, Michigan
Crim Festival of Races, held in Flint, is selected the 2007
Walker Friendly Event

WALK! Magazine is pleased to announce that the city of Flint has been selected the
2007 Best City for Walkers! And The Crim Festival of Races in Flint was selected the
2007 Walker Friendly Event. With more than a third of all nominations for the city,
and 90% of the event nominations for the Crim Festival, it is evident that the
walkers in this area feel strongly about their city and their races.

The nominators selected their own criteria, and took many things into consideration:
•        Walking clubs and walker friendly running clubs,
•        Available walking and hiking trails,
•        Walker-friendly, or walker-only, events
•        Walkability,
•        Athletic shoe stores that understand walkers, and more.

The selection committee took all of those things into consideration as well as the
number of nominations each city received.

“A look at the number of walkers that can be seen around and about town on a daily
basis and at the myriad of local races is testimony to the fact that Flint is the best
city in the nation for walkers,” said one nominator. Another supporter states that
Flint offers plenty of places for walkers to walk. There are a series of trails through
downtown and in the outskirts including many of the Genessee County parks. Maps
of the walking trails are also available online.

Local race directors were also commended. “Walkers are not second-class citizens in
this town and you will not find ‘runner only’ events.”Another added, “We have a
marvelous community of runners and walkers who lend unbelievable support at local
events.”

Weather was also a consideration in one person’s nomination. “While summers are
generally mild with a few hot spells, fall and spring offer ample opportunities to walk
in crisp temperatures from 40 to 60 degrees.”

This area of Michigan has two very active clubs for walking and running: The Great
Lakes Organization of Walkers and the Riverbend Striders, originally a running only
club. The Riverbend Striders “has extended its outreach to walkers treating them
with the same respect as those in the running community,” says one nominator. In
addition, two running stores, Bauman’s and Complete Runner, were mentioned as
being accomodating to walkers. (Bauman’s also carries WALK! Magazine.)
Crim Festival of Races

You can’t discuss Flint’s being walker friendly without mentioning the Crim Festival of
Races held every year in August. Many of those who nominated Flint did so because
of the “Crim.”From the months-long training programs to the vast number of races,
it’s a weekend of events for everyone.

The Crim Festival of Races attracted over 15,000 participants of all fitness levels in
2006. Of the 10 events held over the weekend, four were for walkers only with
walkers also entering the 10-mile race. The walking events include a judged
racewalk, 8K walk, 5K walk and a 1-mile walk. Combined, over 3,000 walkers entered
events in 2006.

“The training program is awesome to get the non-active moving.” Several people
also acknowledged the benefits of the CrimFit year-round training program.

However you look at it, the city of Flint and the Crim Festival of Races are loved by
the local walkers. Congratulations! We look forward to visiting Flint during the Crim
Festival.

Nominations for next year’s awards will be accepted beginning in September.