As the It’s Time Texas Challenge comes to an end, the city of McAllen will be sponsoring the final fitness event, Walk With The Mayor, on Sunday.
The event will be held at Rio Grande Regional Hospital, located at 101 E. Ridge Road in McAllen, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
Those participating in the event will be completing a 3.7-mile walk. Participants may also use various forms of fitness such as running, biking or skating.
Additionally, participants will be provided with healthy snacks as well as the opportunity to enter a raffle for the chance of winning a new bicycle.
It’s Time Texas is a statewide nonprofit competition that encourages the members of local communities to engage in physical fitness and healthy living.
In the last four years, McAllen has ranked first place each time in the large community category.
Categories are based on the community’s population size.
Back in 2018, WalletHub ranked the city of McAllen as the fattest city in America. Mayor Javier Villalobos hopes that with the challenge they will be able to encourage the community to change this statistic.
“Exercising promotes being healthy … it prevents obesity. Overall for the general health exercise is good and we never again want to be designated as the fattest city in the country,” Villalobos said. “We’re hoping that promoting this (It’s Time Texas) challenge, fixing up our parks, our walkways, our bicycle trails, and all that will hopefully get people exercising and improving their health.”
Other activities the city of McAllen will be hosting for the challenge are the Hump Day Pump Day with Gerry happening Wednesday from 12 to 1 p.m. at the City Commission Chamber.
On Thursday, the city will host REFIT in the park event, a 30-minute exercise session happening at Archer Park from 11:30 a.m. to noon.
