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Freo steps out to take on Cockburn in Giant Walk world record bid

WITH the City of Cockburn throwing down the gauntlet, the City of Fremantle has responded and taken on the challenge of seeing which council can get the most people involved in this year's Giant Walk.

Tying in with be active wa day on Monday, September 1, the Giant Walk – Guinness World Record Challenge is a bid to see the most people walking 1km at exactly the same time.

The City of Fremantle is inviting people of all ages and abilities to join in at Wilson Park, South Fremantle, ready to walk at least 1km, to regain the current record held by Canada.

Registrations open 11.30am before the walk starts at midday. Walking twice around the park, along a marked line, will achieve the necessary 1km.

Fremantle Mayor Peter Tagliaferri described the event as a good way to step into spring while gaining the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise for well-being.

“I am looking forward to striding ahead in the event and encourage as many people as possible to join me to make sure we are counted,” he said. “Especially since it’s ‘game on’ with a Fremantle-Cockburn challenge as well.

“Research from the Premier’s Physical Activity Taskforce shows that nearly half of WA adults are not physically active enough for good health and a quarter of our children are overweight or obese.

“But walking is a low-impact physical activity that suits most people and can assist in reducing the risk of heart disease by up to half, lessen feelings of fatigue and depression and can also help in the prevention of certain cancers.

“The Giant Walk is just one way we can show people how easy and fun it can be to incorporate activity into their everyday lives.

“People in Fremantle are always keen for a challenge and I am confident we can beat Cockburn with the number of participants and help Australia walk away with a world record.”

In 2006, Western Australia claimed ownership of the record by coordinating WA’s Giant Walk after 100,915 people walked 1km across 516 locations.

The following year Canada broke the record with 231,635 people walking at once.

In 2008, it’s a national bid and, to break the record, more than 231,635 Australians need to walk at the same time on September 1 at any organised venue across the nation.