For the second year in a row, the "3 Million Stair Challenge" is going full speed ahead in the City of Shoreline. The contest, which runs through the month of June, has been hugely successful at getting the city's residents out and exercising on the stairs in Richmond Beach Saltwater Park. The city's Parks Director, Dick Deal, has thrown down the gauntlet: next year, he wants to pit Shoreline against other cities and neighborhoods in the region. Any takers?
For now, the competition is strictly a local affair. During the month of June, contestants try to qualify for prize drawings by climbing these stairs in Richmond Beach Saltwater Park:
There's a cool tracking system in place (see below). At the end of each stairway session, contestants can log their ascents in any of several ways: paper; online via computer; or online via smartphone using an onsite QR code.
As of June 2, 68 contestants have logged a total of 122,992 stairs climbed. Last June they blew away their million-stair goal, so this year Shoreline Parks is aiming for at least 3 million stairs climbed. Sure sounds like a great way to mobilize a city or neighborhood around outdoor exercise...especially in view of the fact that stair climbing burns about 3 times the calories that level walking does!