2008 Mile-by-Mile Marathon and Walk @ Work Day challenge employees to get fit
ST. LOUIS - (August 1, 2008) - GO! St. Louis, a not-for-profit organization that specializes in presenting fitness events and programs for the region on a year-round basis, has announced that it has expanded its 2008 corporate wellness initiatives.
In 2007, GO! St. Louis implemented two new corporate wellness initiatives - GO! St. Louis Walk @ Work Day and GO! St. Louis Mile-by-Mile Marathon. Both programs motivated hundreds of local employees last year to make fitness part of their daily lives. Based on the success of last year's events, GO! has expanded the offerings this year to include additional local communities and companies.
The Walk @ Work Day was introduced last September with a one-mile walk around the Gateway Arch during the lunch hour and has been expanded to include the city of Clayton this year. The Walk @ Work Day in the City of St. Louis is set for Friday, September 12, while the Clayton walk takes place on September 19 in Shaw Park. The walks are free and open to all ages and fitness levels. Participants receive information on starting a fitness regime, attendance prizes and refreshments.
The Mile-by-Mile Marathon debuted last year, when more than 215 City of St. Louis employees accepted the challenge to walk or run 26.2 miles in six weeks. Based on the amount of interest in the initial offering, GO! has opened it up to area companies, looking to compliment their existing corporate wellness initiatives. Due to the city employees' interest and the popularity of the program, the City of St. Louis has signed on to participate again, in 2008.
"As we continue to expand our year-round fitness programs, we have met with numerous human resources personnel from area companies who indicated a real need to engage their employees to get fit," said Nancy Lieberman, GO! St. Louis president.
"Based on the need for additional corporate wellness plans, we developed two programs, which debuted in 2007 and have been expanded in 2008. It's truly inspiring to hear personal testimonials from individuals who participated in the past and the impact it has had in their overall well-being," she added.
The Mile-by-Mile Marathon program works in concert with a company's human resources fitness objectives, to help motivate and engage employees to make fitness and nutrition part of their lives. Included in the program are four "Lunch and Learn" sessions, where a member of the GO! St. Louis faculty, which is comprised of some of the area's top fitness and nutrition experts, conduct informal one-hour brown bag sessions on a variety of topics. Topics include: selecting the proper shoes / apparel; injury prevention; setting fitness goals and nutrition. The program includes a personal online training log to chart progress, a t-shirt, medal and certificate upon completion of the employee's fitness goals. In addition, companies are encouraged to hold special kickoff rallies and / or celebration events as part of the program.
Companies interested in participating in the Mile-by-Mile program should contact Mike Cosgrove at (314) 727-0800 or visit: GoStLouis.org.
GO! St. Louis, a non-profit organization, encourages individuals and families in the region to adopt a healthy lifestyle by getting fit, staying active, and eating a nutritional diet year round. The organization accomplishes this through school based programming, outreach to senior / retirement centers, community collaborations and the creation of new and unique fitness opportunities.
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.
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