Flint named nation's best walking city

FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
By Bill Khan
bkhan@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6184

When Flint tops a list in a national publication, it usually sends city officials and supporters into a defensive posture.

There was the famous 1987 Money Magazine article that listed Flint as the nation's worst place to live. There have been other less-than-flattering lists over the years that rank Flint one of the worst cities in America in a variety of categories.

Here's something for which people in the Vehicle City can be proud: A national walking magazine has named Flint the best city for walkers in the nation and the Crim Festival of Races as the most walker-friendly event. WALK! Magazine, based in Columbus, Ohio, made the selections based on nominations submitted by its readers. Flint was listed on more than one-third of nominations for the best city and the Crim on 90 percent of the event nominations, according to the magazine's Web site.

Among the criteria listed on the WALK! Web site were the presence of walking clubs and walker-friendly running clubs; available walking and hiking trails; events that include walkers; walkability; and athletic shoe stores that understand walkers.

"What really impressed us about the nominations we received from Flint is that people who walk in that area really love that area," said Cindi Leeman, editor of WALK! Magazine. "It was just overwhelming the number of people who said the Crim Festival of Races was a great opportunity for walkers. Of all the cities we received nominations for, there was the greatest affection for Flint."

The Crim, which consisted of only the 10-mile run its first 10 years, added a 5-kilometer walk in 1988, an 8K walk in 1990, an 8K racewalk in 1994 and a 1-mile walk in 1999. The 8K racewalk was replaced by a 5K racewalk in 2001.

A separate walking category will be added to the 10-mile race this year.

Eighteen percent of last year's registrants in the various Crim events were walkers. The Crim Training Program has walking groups, as well as groups for runners of various abilities.

"It's really significant, because Flint is usually involved with the negative side of the list," Crim race director Deb Kiertzner said. "This is significant, because it really highlights what we've known at the Crim all along. There's a very large and enthusiastic running and walking community in this area. The people with the Genesee County parks have provided locations for us to use and the City of Flint has wonderful venues for us to use. Now it's come to light through this award."

The Riverbend Striders, a local running club founded in the 1970s by Mark Bauman and John Gault, added a walk division to their local races in the late 1980s.

"We were definitely ahead of the curve," Bauman said. "There are still a lot of races that don't have walks now. We had an active walking community and they asked for it. We put it in and they were able to get us enough numbers to justify paying for the awards.

"Interest is still pretty good. Some years have been better than other years. The Crim adding a 10-mile walk and the Crim Training Program adding walks has helped, too. The Crim and Striders complement each other."