Walkers from the Illinois Great Rivers Conference combined to finish in first place during the Elite Eight Conference Challenge, sponsored by Virgin Health Miles.
The IGRC team total finished with an average of 302,074 steps per team member. In second place was the Detroit Conference with a 293,503 step average followed by: Arkansas (289,811); East Ohio (280,033); East Pennsylvania (279,508); Iowa (266,343); Peninsula-Delaware (246,839); and California-Pacific (228,793). In all more than 264 million steps were taken during the challenge.
Individually, 406 challenge participants averaged at least 7,000 steps per day throughout the challenge and an additinal 253 challenge participants averaged 12,000 steps or more per day. In all, 944 walkers recorded steps during the challenge.
IGRC won the team competition as 10 IGRC walkers were among the Top 50 performances. Seven individuals logged 870,000, which included IGRC's Elizabeth Ruberg to tie for first place. Retired IGRC pastor Brent Anderson finished in eighth place with 869,867 steps. Paul Wier finished in 17th place with 747,595 steps; Don Jackson in 18th place with 732,511 steps; Atsuko Lolling, 30th place, 657,208 steps; Don Shane, 34th place, 646,372 steps; Paul Dinges, 39th place, 628,428 steps; Mark Smith, 42nd place, 620,510 steps; Charles Graul, 43rd place, 615,806 steps; and Kent Lolling, 49th place, 587.026 steps.