Image: Pacific Crest Trail, Oregon (Wikimedia Commons)

This year the Library will be working together to walk four beautiful trails throughout the United States. . The goal is to achieve an average cumulative distance each week to walk the entire trail.  If we meet our final goal of walking all four trails, all participants, who have turned in their weekly steps on time for all four weeks, will receive a prize.

If you have a tracking device such as a Fitbit, Apple watch or an app on your phone please use that to track your steps.  If you do not have an activity tracker, the Library (courtesy of John Wilkin) will be provide participants with a pedometers but supplies are limited. Participants, who have registered for the walking challenge and need a pedometer should email Walk@library.illinois.edu beginning, Monday, March 28. 

1. Register as an individual or select a team of 2 or more members from the Library. Students that work in your unit are welcome to join. Think of a team name and a team captain.  The Captain or the individual will E-MAIL Walk@Library.illinois.edu the team name and the names of all team members by 5pm on April 4th.  If you would like to be assigned a team please note that on your registration.
2. Wear a tracking device every day from April 4th to May 1st. Record your steps on your calendar, through online tools or calculate your steps using an app for your phone. Here are some walking route planner and app examples.

3. On Monday morning each week, input your weekly step count. Please try to stay with these deadlines so that we can send out results in a timely manner.  Please enter your total step count for each week in this form.

4. Once we receive all of the numbers for the week, we will send out a list of all of the individual and team averages. Try to increase your average each week!

AT THE END...

For Teams and Individual:

At the end of the four weeks, we'll calculate the total average steps of each team over the course of the 4 weeks. Certificates will be awarded to the top team.  Top individual not on a winning team will also receive a certificate.

Teams and individuals who did not place in the top will be reviewed for the highest change in steps over the 4 weeks. The team and individual that improve the most will also receive certificates.  The team and the individual with the highest average, of course, will have bragging rights for the next year!

Everyone who turns in their steps on time for all four weeks will be eligible for a prize (courtesy of Dean Wilkin) if we meet our Library goal of walking all four trails.  We will have a time set aside in May to hand out our prize.  If we all start walking we can meet our challenge!