“I believe it’s jogging or yogging. It might be a soft j. I’m not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It’s supposed to be wild.”
– Ron Burgundy
Bring your sneakers, a bottle of water, and a friend to the Phoenix Public Market this Saturday at 7 a.m. for some exercise and camaraderie.
Tim Wilke, fitness enthusiast and creator of the Mile Club Challenge, works near Downtown and regularly runs through the core. During one of his jaunts, Wilke decided to set up a measured course and use his web site to encourage people to take advantage of Downtown’s unique setting.
Mile Club Challenge is based on a simple concept: set a fitness goal and challenge yourself to achieve it. Members set goals of 100, 200, 300, 400 or 500 miles over the course of 100 days. You can log the miles running, walking, swimming, or using cardio equipment at the gym.
Wilke encourages people of all fitness levels to attend the non-competitive, free Saturday events. The course takes runners and walkers from the Market to Taylor Street, down the campus mall to Third Street. The pack will pass through Arizona Center and the grotto, crossing Van Buren and traveling past the Herberger Theatre Center en route to Monroe. The route continues down to First Avenue and heads north through Civic Space Park before ending back at the Market. One lap equals 1.4 miles and attendees can do as many laps as they want. View a map of the course here.
Runners and walkers can transition easily from their workout to a morning at Phoenix Public Market Urban Grocery and Wine Bar, where Royal will be selling coffees and pastries and local vendors will be dealing goods from 8 a.m. to noon.
“I usually have a hot dog for breakfast,” Wilke said. “You can have anything you want after a good hard run.”
Pictured: Mile Club Challenge organizer Tim Wilke and Garden Goddess Doreen Pollack at last Saturday’s Mile Club Challenge fun run.