WVU Medicine to kick off 22nd Annual Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days® March 21

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – With spring approaching, it is time to start organizing your walking team for The Wellness Center at WVU Medicine’s 22nd Annual Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days® campaign, which will begin on Monday, March 21 and run through June 28.

The Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days program encourages participants to develop the habit of walking at least one mile a day as a form of exercise.

“Last year, we had approximately 5,000 people in a sustained exercise program, making Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days the largest exercise program in the state,” Dave Harshbarger, wellness manager for WVU Medicine and the WVU Health Sciences Center, said. “The average participant completed 125 miles, and more than 97 percent reached the goal of 100 miles.”

Sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for developing heart disease. West Virginia typically ranks near the top of the list, having more heart disease per capita than any other state.  

“Regular exercise is a way to prevent heart disease, as well as obesity, another problem in West Virginia,” Harshbarger said. “This is a great opportunity to get regular exercise, do something healthy with friends and family, and have fun.”  

The kick-off walk will take place at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 18, from the front of WVU Medicine Ruby Memorial Hospital. All are welcome and will gather in the lobby and then go for a one-mile walk (weather permitting).

Participants can sign up individually or form teams and organize for their own business/organization. Registration deadline is March 18. For more information, call 304-293-2520. Registration information is available online at http://wellness.wvumedicine.org.

Photo caption: Clay Marsh, M.D., (left) WVU Health Sciences vice president and executive dean, and Albert Wright, president and CEO of WVU Medicine-WVU Hospitals and COO of WVU Medicine, lead the way at the 2015 Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days kick-off walk.