FEBRUARY 15 Canalway ChallengeWaterford, N.Y. – The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is inviting New Yorkers to take part in a special winter fitness challenge, the FEBRUARY 15 Canalway Challenge. Participants pledge to complete 15 miles by walking, running, hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing during the month of February to earn a 15-Miler badge. Participants can choose to log miles at national, state and local parks, on the Canalway Trail, or even in their own neighborhoods. Any location within the boundaries of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor counts. 

“With the upcoming Olympic Games and a focus on physical fitness, we hope the FEBRUARY 15 Challenge will provide an incentive for people to get up, get out, and get active to achieve their own fitness goals,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. “Getting out this winter is an excellent way to explore the Canalway Corridor’s seasonal beauty and start a fitness habit that can last all year.” 

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “There’s a special beauty about New York’s Canals in the winter, and the FEBRUARY 15 Canalway Challenge is the perfect opportunity for New Yorkers to get outdoors and appreciate the bucolic landscapes and exceptional history of this storied waterway. I encourage New Yorkers to take on the challenge and experience firsthand the tremendous opportunities for recreation that the Canalway Trail and our state and national parks have to offer."

Four national parks, 24 state parks, and nine New York State historic sites are within the boundaries of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. The Corridor encompasses 23 counties and spans 524 miles across the full expanse of the upstate New York. It includes the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain Canals and their historic alignments. 

Registration is free and open to individuals, teams, and organizations. Sign up at: www.canalwaychallenge.org

 

ABOUT THE ERIE CANALWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR

Nearly 200 years after its construction, the Erie Canal remains an iconic symbol of American ingenuity and determination. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor preserves our extraordinary canal heritage, promotes the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and fosters vibrant communities connected by more than 500 miles of waterway. It achieves its mission in partnership with the National Park Service, New York State agencies, non-profit organizations, local residents, and more than 200 communities across the full expanse of upstate New York.

www.eriecanalway.org   

 

###

Have fun and stay fit this winter with the FEBRUARY 15 Challenge. Walk, run, hike, snowshoe, or cross-country ski 15 miles anywhere in the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor to earn your 15 Miler badge. Free. Sign up: www.canalwaychallenge.org   www.canalwaychallenge.org   

Contact:

Jean Mackay, Director of Communications and Outreach

518-925-6721, jean_mackay@partner.nps.gov