Step Up: Shoreline Launching Million Stair Challenge Again in June

Got legs and know how to use them? The city of Shoreline is once again challenging residents and visitors to see how many stairs they can climb at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park during the month of June.

The second Million Stair Challenge is designed as a way for residents to step up their fitness route and to see if people could climb enough stairs during the month of June to reach the 1,000,000 mark. It passed that easily in the 2012 inaugural year at 1,238,384.

A bank of 188 stairs at the park (2021 NW 190th Street) travels more than 85 feet of vertical elevation.

“For the 2013 Challenge, we’re pretty sure we can climb 1 million stairs,” says Shoreline Parks Director Dick Deal. “However, it won’t be long until the question will be how many millions of stairs can we climb.”

To spice up and expand the event, this year prizes will be awarded to top climbers, and a potluck and barbecue will be hosted in the park for participants.

Participants can log the number of full of half flights of stairs they have climbed either on the Million Stair Challenge website (shorelinewa.gov/stairs) or with a paper tracking form. City staff will post weekly updates on the site. Those who use the online tracking form and provide their email address will be eligible to win prizes as well.

The challenge is part of Shoreline’s Healthy City Strategy, adopted by the City Council in 2011 to encourage residents to make healthy choices.

Details can be found on the challenge web site, or by contacting Recreation Coordinator Courtney Brown at (206) 801-2635 or cbrown@shorelinewa.gov.