5K Challenge Conquered

HAP’s Orange Strivers, a group of HAP members who participated in our 5K training program, crossed the finish line at the 9th Annual HAP Brooksie Way on Sept. 25. Hosted on the beautiful Oakland University campus, the Brooksie Way served as the backdrop for the HAP 5K Challenge. More than 6,000 runners and walkers — the oldest being 99 years old – participated in a 5K, 10K, half marathon or kids’ race. Emotions ran high as this was the first 5K for many.

“In a culture plagued by a sedentary lifestyle, HAP is proud to be the title sponsor of this year’s Brooksie Way – an event that promotes health and fitness,” said Mary Ann Tournoux, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Health Alliance Plan. “HAP works hard to make it easier for the people of Michigan to make healthy choices. This is just one example of how we do that.”

Go, team! Go!

Donning orange jerseys, more than 75 HAP Orange Strivers met their goal of completing a 5K. For nine weeks, the Orange Strivers trained for the Brooksie Way with coaches from the Michigan Institute for Human Performance. Together, they hosted group runs at Rochester Municipal Park and shared their progress using HAP’s iStrive for Better Health digital wellness tool.

A member of the HAP Orange Strivers, Danette Dullack-Purol, started the program as an inexperienced runner and conquered the 5K challenge at the 2016 HAP Brooksie Way.

“This program really kick-started my motivation to get on a regular exercise schedule,” she says. “The group runs with our team were fun and provided the support I needed. It was such a great sense of accomplishment crossing the finish line together.”

 HAP Orange Strivers by the numbers:

• Nearly 90 runners registered on the iStrive for Better Health digital wellness tool to share their accomplishments
• Together, the team logged more than 14,000,000 steps during the training program.

Stay tuned

For those who missed out on the fall 5K Challenge, the HAP Orange Strivers team will rejoin forces in the spring for another 5K challenge. The nine-week program is designed to transform anyone into a 5K champion with a simple formula – exercise for 30 minutes per day, three days per week. HAP members will have an exclusive discount that can be used toward the race admission cost and will be invited to participate in the 5K training program.