National Running Day scheduled

National Running Day, on Wednesday, June 3, is an initiative whereby many of the major organizations within the running industry are joining forces to nationally and locally promote running as a healthy, easy, and accessible form of exercise. Across the country, the day will celebrate the benefits of running as part of a healthy and active lifestyle aimed at combating some of today’s most pressing health issues. Running organizations in major cities around the country will be hosting activities, including professional athlete appearances, free running events, group runs and clinics. The running organizations collaborating for this initiative include: Atlanta Track Club, Boston Athletic Association, Chevron Houston Marathon, Chicago Area Runners Association, The Competitor Group, Little Rock Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, New York Road Runners, Oregon Track Club, Running USA, Twin Cities Marathon, Inc., and USA Track & Field. The objective aims to: Strengthen a nationwide grassroots movement to get people running; Encourage Americans of all ages and fitness levels to get out and run. As more school physical education programs disappear every day, get kids interested in running as a part of an everyday healthy lifestyle. According to the American Sports Data 2007 Superstudy of Sports Participation, 39.5 million people in the United States ran or jogged at least once, and 11.7 million ran more than 100 days/year. Running is fun, accessible, easy, and affordable.