KC Sports Commission is walking a million miles and needs your help to get there
By Sam Kombrink
During the pandemic people have had instances where they have cabin-fever, and they need to get out of the house and get some exercise. Well, what if instead of hitting the same gym routine they switched it up and participated in the 2020 Marathon Mile Challenge? I know you may be worried about Covid-19. That is okay because you can pick your own day to run the race or you can play it safe and participate virtually.
For some who may not know, every year the Kansas City Sports Commission teams up with local sponsors (like Garmin) to host the Kansas City Marathon. But due to the pandemic, there are some changes.
On August 24th the Kansas City Sports Commission announced that they could not find a way to safely host the Kansas City Marathon due to Covid. Instead, they introduced the “Garmin KC Marathon One Million Mile Challenge.”
For $40 anyone can sign up to run or walk or crawl a 5K, 10K, half marathon or a full marathon. Participants have the choice to run the race on a day of their choice, or participate by inputting steps from a Smartwatch. The goal of the marathon is to reach 1 million miles. (2,000 steps equal one mile). The event will last until December 15th when participants will receive a finisher’s medal as well as other items. Participants who sign up for the challenge will be eligible to win prizes as they make the different goal levels on the way to 1 million.
The prizes are given away in a drawing to lucky participants. For instance, three participants will win $600 cash when the Commission hits 600,000 miles. At 750,000 miles, 750 participants will receive a 2020 Sporting KC jersey bag. A list of more prizes and goals can be found on their website. So far 573,295.75 miles have been logged as of 5 pm on November 23.
According to Michelle Kerwin, south Kansas City resident and former employee of the Kansas City Sports Commission, the nonprofit Sports Commission has helped with the Royals and Chiefs parades, procured the 2023 NFL Draft in KC, and facilitated local and national sporting events for Kansas City, like the Big 12 Basketball Tournament. The Commission also provides a sports camp for girls ages 6-12 called WIN KC. “By participating in this challenge, we can thank the nonprofit KC Sports Commission for all they have done for our community,” she says.
She says by signing up, tracking your miles and contributing them to the Sports Commission’s goal to make 1 million miles, “could be a really fun way to make those steps count.”