Needed: Community Run Time

19Jul09

Exercise is healthy. People are more likely to participate in exercise if they’ve got support and company. 5K and 10K footraces for community members typically charge $15, $25, or more. This penalizes participation, especially among lower-income people, who apparently have the greatest need for encouragement to exercise.

Fundraising 5K races might well get more participants if more people were running regularly. There should be a regular time — say, Friday, 5 PM — when people in communities around the world are encouraged to go out and run and/or walk for an hour. This healthy Happy Hour Run/Walk should include starting points and recommended routes in local communities, so that people have the option of meeting and running with others at known locations.