The 2.1-mile trail runs along National Avenue from the CoxHealth campus to the Mercy campus.
The Medical Mile trail has been five years in the making and now what began as an idea between a few friends has become an official path through Springfield. Its purpose: to get us all on the path to better health.
Local insurance agent Andrea Croley came up with the idea and spoke with Jodie Adams, who was then the director of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. Croley wanted to designate the sidewalk along National as a visual reminder that we all need to get outside for fresh air and exercise, and felt that section was perfect, with health care providers at either end.
Adams agreed, and soon the City of Springfield, CoxHealth, Mercy and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board were all on board. The City agreed to make sidewalk improvements, and everyone worked on mapping the course and marking it with medallions. Now, runners and walkers will be able to scan the codes on the medallions to see the map and track how far they’ve traveled.
The Medical Mile Trail also connects to The Link, which is a series of trails that run through open space, greenways and parks.
“It would be my dream to see more trails run through Springfield,” explained Croley. “A network like this could make it possible for people to bike, walk or run to wherever they’re going."
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