This October, students on campus will be celebrating National Walking Month with Walktober, a competition to see which team and person can walk the most in the upcoming weeks.

Walktober is open to all students, faculty and staff at SU, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and SUNY Upstate Medical University. The campaign includes a competition in which participants track how often they walk throughout October, which ends on Oct. 28. Participants can compete individually or in teams.

The Walktober competition began Monday. Participants will keep track of their daily running or walking mileage throughout the month of October, according to the Healthy Monday Syracuse website.

The competition is being offered in partnership with Healthy Monday, a public health initiative that aims to help end preventable diseases by offering various programs.

Though the competition is being held at SU for the first time this year, it is gaining widespread popularity among colleges and universities, said Joseph Lore, director of the Department of Recreation Services at SU.

“One of the goals of Walktober is for individuals to begin or continue an exercise routine they may continue into the fall and winter months,” Lore said.

Participants are also encouraged to set goals for themselves, he said.

Winners will be announced at SU’s RUN Scared Halloween Fun Run and Walk on Oct. 28, according to the website. Some of the prizes awarded will include gift certificates and SU gear.

The Halloween Fun Run and Walk includes one-mile and two-mile running or walking events and a costume contest, said Leah Moser, program coordinator for SU’s Healthy Monday campaign.

All Walktober participants will be automatically registered for the fun run and walk, but the event is also open to any member of the community who didn’t participate in Walktober, she said.

Participants are also encouraged to try out various mile-long routes marked on campus, in downtown Syracuse, and elsewhere throughout Syracuse, she said.

The teamwork encouraged by Walktober, Moser said, can help motivate people who are less physically active.

“Walktober is a great program for someone new to fitness or someone who wants to try something different,” she said. “Having a team or buddy makes it much easier to stick with your fitness routine because it introduces some accountability, which can motivate someone who might otherwise not be active.”

Every member of the community was encouraged to participate, regardless of his or her physical level, Moser said.

“We recognize that everyone is in a different place in terms of their fitness goals, but we hope this sends a message to the campus that we support people being active, whatever that means for them,” Moser said. “We hope that Walktober participants have fun with it and can reap some of the health benefits that come along with being more active.”

Published on September 30, 2013 at 11:41 pm