Tread the Med to begin Thursday, Aug. 8

Tread the Med, the School of Medicine’s popular 100-day wellness program that encourages participants to walk 10,000 steps per day, is set to begin Thursday, Aug. 8, with a kickoff on the Medical Campus.

The event will be from noon to 1 p.m. at Hope Plaza near the reflection pool. James P. Crane, MD, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs, will offer a recap of the most recent Tread the Med — Tread the Med Route 66 — and recognize its top achievers. Kreative Pandemonium will provide music, and participants may enter for a chance to win VIP passes to the St. Louis Science Center and other prizes.

While Aug. 8 marks the official start of “Tread the Medfari in the Serengeti,” participants may register through Aug. 22. The program will end Nov. 15.

All School of Medicine employees are eligible to participate. Those interested may register at healthyliving.wustl.edu/tread-the-med for $5, via payroll deduction.

The goal for Tread the Med participants is to walk 500 miles, or 1 million steps, in 100 days. Walkers are encouraged to envision themselves hoofing it to Tanzania and the Serengeti, following the migration path of the Thomson’s gazelle, zebras and wildebeest that roam that part of the world.

Participants are given a pedometer and asked to measure progress toward daily and weekly goals.