A Milwaukee-area man has run every single street in the city. Chris Ponteri has been running for more than 30 years. He mostly runs competitively across the country, but has fallen in love with running in neighborhoods.
This intense enjoyment of neighborhood exploration combined with his personal sense of determination provided the motivation required to run the 1,700 miles that make up the city streets. When asked to describe why he decided to run the city streets, Ponteri says, "Becuase it was possible."
Ponteri useds a software designed for runners to map out routes to traverse areas called CityStrides. Ponteri describes the work and preparation in mapping the city encompassing route being as demanding as running it. For this Milwaukee route, Ponteri also used the map my run website.
"Basically, write down turn by turn route instructions and carry the piece of paper — turn by turn instructions were three pieces of paper that I'm pulling out of my pocket one at a time while I'm running," Ponteri describes.
The thought of running Milwaukee city streets may seem needlessly dangerous when considering the reckless driving in Milwaukee. However, Ponteri didn't encounter many hazards or threats. His running times were typically between 5-8 a.m.
Ponteri describes the city as a pleasant place. He says, "I think that there may be a perception that these neighborhoods are dangerous because of political commercials or TV news. I didn't find them to be nearly as dangerous as people would think. The most friendly people were in the most challenged neighborhoods."
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