Roughly 200 people took part Sept. 19 in the Grit City Gauntlet, a free, self-guided 22-mile walk around Tacoma. The route began at the Washington State History Museum and included stops near Point Defiance Park, Old Town Tacoma and the Stadium District. There was no entry fee, and participants could walk only part of the route rather than complete the full loop.
The walk was organized by Holden Minor Ringer, a Seattle resident who was living in Tacoma and planned to stay there for a few months, according to the Tacoma News Tribune. Ringer has organized other neighborhood walks, including the Seattle Super Saunter, which ran from Shoreline to Bryn Mawr-Skyway in May 2025 and drew about 300 participants, along with walks focused on east and west Seattle.
Ringer's interest in walkability followed a 2024 cross-country walk from La Push, Washington, to New Haven, Connecticut, undertaken to raise awareness of the country's walkability challenges, the News Tribune reported. The Grit City Gauntlet route was documented on the Seattle Super Saunter website, which listed nearly 22 miles and about 1,200 feet of elevation gain. The listing described the event as free and self-paced, with participants able to join for about one mile or attempt the entire route.
A Route Built Around Tacoma's Character
A Route Built Around Tacoma's Character The advertised path wound through Downtown Tacoma, Point Defiance, Ruston Way and the Stadium District, according to the event listing. The News Tribune reported that walkers also passed through Old Town Tacoma and the Stadium District and stopped at the Proctor Farmers' Market before organizers wrapped up at 7 Seas Brewery and Taproom. The event began around 9 a.m. at the Washington State History Museum; the online listing had projected a finish there between 5:30 and 6 p.m., creating a discrepancy with the newspaper's account of the day's conclusion.
What the route reveals about walking in Tacoma
The walk's use of city streets and neighborhood connections also highlights the conditions Tacoma is working to address. According to the City of Tacoma's Pedestrian Safety 2025 Update, 477 pedestrians were hit by vehicles on Tacoma's streets between 2020 and 2024. The report also identifies approximately 371 miles of missing-link sidewalk, including about 75 miles on arterial streets. The route also passed through Old Town.
The event listing included stops at the Proctor Farmers Market, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, Point Ruston and Northern Fish Co. The event page even recommended Sound Transit's Route 594 for Seattle attendees, suggesting a bus leaving 2nd and Yesler at 7:54 a.m. to arrive at the museum by 8:47 a.m. The event listing described a route of up to 22 miles.
Walkers Come From Near and Far
The News Tribune reported that participants included Seattle residents Rafael Oliveira and Chelsea Oldenburg, as well as Tacoma residents Daniel and Lisa Hardebeck. The paper said the Hardebecks typically walk 10 to 15 miles a week and that Daniel Hardebeck has lived in Tacoma since 2011.
‘Finishing First Means You Did It Wrong’
Ringer told the News Tribune that the event was intended to function less like a conventional endurance race than a way to explore the city. The format emphasized meeting other walkers and noticing Tacoma's neighborhoods rather than speed or a finish time.
That ethos may explain why the event drew comparisons to a broader pattern of informal, community-organized urban hikes cropping up in cities nationwide — including a 17-mile walking route across San Francisco from Candlestick Point to Land's End, as described by Outside. Ringer believed the Tacoma event might be the only Grit City Gauntlet in its current scope, according to the News Tribune.
What Comes Next for Grit City
Ringer told the News Tribune he hopes local walkers continue the Grit City Gauntlet. His other neighborhood walks include The Queen Anne Quest, The West Seattle Saunter, The East Side Escapade, The Subdued Saunter in Bellingham, and the Phinney, Fremont and Ballard Fall Frolic, according to MyBallard.
