2nd Annual "Big Walk" is History

Welcome to the NJ2NY50 "The Big Walk", a one-day 50-mile walk through suburban and urban New Jersey ending in New York City organized by the FreeWalkers and in support of the East Coast Greenway. It's a free event and open to the public. We completed our 2nd annual "Big Walk"  on Saturday, May 21, 2011 - 50-miles in one day from Metropark to New York City.

Thanks to all who made this event a great one - including our 60 or so participants (BIG CONGRATS TO ALL!). Including the East Coast Greenway's Mike Kruimer (plus his super SAG team Ann, Kathy, Tom, Mack, & Kelly), Mike Oliva for expert coordination and guidance, Andrew Beshold for his bike sweeping, and Beth Brody for making the Cranford stop a special one.

A special thanks to the warm welcome we received from Union County and Cranford officials and for Koening Russo & Associates for supplying breakfast fuel to our walkers. Finally, thanks again to the Embankment Preservation Coalition in Jersey City for their hospitality for the 2nd year in a row at our late afternoon break. See the press release on the Cranford welcome.

It was a great effort from many dedicated and generous folks that made this exceptional walk possible.

The Big Walk Route on Saturday, May 21, 2011:

Background on The Big Walk

The origin of a 50-mile walk, or urban hike, dates back in the 1963 when President Kennedy challenged the American Public to actively pursue a better, healthier lifestyle. Today, although we know more about how to live better,  we often make the wrong choices or are too busy to pay proper attention to our own health and creating communities that we want to live in.

By participating in the "Big Walk" we can break out and experience a new pro-pedestrian movement that provides opportunities to exercise, experience and contribute to improving our communities as well as ourselves. It's up to you to create your own challenge and test your own limits.