Mississippi Mills residents can lace up their sneakers and pump up their bike tires for the return of the Silver Chain Challenge this June, a friendly competition between Lanark County and Renfrew County to see who can log the most kilometres on foot or wheels.
Open to everyone regardless of age or fitness level, the month-long event invites individuals, families, school classes, workplaces and community groups to track each kilometre they walk, run or cycle. The goal is simple: get people moving while building a little cross-county rivalry.
Registration and activity logging will happen through a dedicated website set up by Mississippi Mills municipality, where participants can watch real-time standings as Lanark and Renfrew battle for bragging rights.
Both county wardens are rallying their communities. “We hope residents take advantage of this challenge by finding new areas in the county to explore,” said Renfrew County Warden Jennifer Murphy. Lanark County Warden Richard Kidd added that it is an easy way to turn physical activity into a shared, community-wide event.
The challenge started about a decade ago among smaller Lanark County municipalities and has since grown into a regional fixture. It remains closely tied to Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month, which helped inspire the idea and continues to promote cycling events throughout June.
