McAllen, Texas (Border Report) – Once again dubbed “the fattest city” in America, McAllen is taking bold steps this year to try to make society healthier and fitter by introducing a series of current events.
On Tuesday, city officials in this southern Texas border town announced that they will host five running events in 2022, all ahead of the city’s marathon race in January.
This is all part of what is now called the McAllen Marathon Scott Crane running series.
And anyone who participates in all five rounds, including the marathon event, will cross the finish line for an additional medal in January.
The running series kicks off May 7 with the Cinco de Mayo Tour, followed by the 4K Tour on July 4th, and the 5K MXLAN Tour on July 27 highlighting the border town’s Mexican heritage.
There is a terrifying “Fright Night 5K” on October 15, and a “Turkey Trot” on November 12.
View more information about events on the City Marathon website.
For the first time, the McAllen Marathon will be held on Saturday rather than Sunday, and will begin and end at the McAllen Convention Center. Half-marathon runners will do an inner-city loop, and those who participate in the full marathon will loop twice.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane, who named after his brother, the late City Commissioner Scott Crane, said the idea was for the community to encourage the runners and encourage them for their efforts.
He told Border Report that he hopes the additional hardware, with the dangling charms indicating all races throughout 2022, will attract more people to come out and participate.
“It’s the first time to do this. We’ve expanded this event from a one-week event to a year-long event by including these aspects of the running series,” Crane said at a press conference Tuesday at the McAllen Convention Center.
McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez told Border Report that he was disappointed that in 2022 the city was again called the fattest city in the United States, along with neighboring cities like Mission and Edenburg.
“We keep hearing about surveys all over the country and for some reason we don’t do well,” Rodriguez said.
Released March 14, a WalletHub survey noted the large number of obese and overweight adults on the South Texas border and the health consequences of obesity that have plagued local communities.
Rodriguez attributes the tendency toward obesity to Mexican culture and the fatty foods that appear on the border.
“Part of our culture here in South Texas and our proximity to Mexico is our diet, so we have to keep going,” Rodriguez said.
But he says he hopes organizing physical events on city streets every few weeks will help combat the growing scale.
“It’s very exciting for our community to run year-round,” Rodriguez said.
“Fitness is a journey,” he said. “We go through valleys and peaks. It is not easy to get out there and go after it every day, so we have to be a part of that drive for our community.”
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at [email protected]
