Christian group carrying cross 100 miles across North Idaho, Washington
JACK DEWITT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month AGO
Erica Day and Kristy White carry the cross in Rathdrum while also leading the group in their walk on Friday.
Baby powder, blisters and sweaty sneakers littered the parking lot at Dwelling Place Church in Rathdrum on Friday as over 30 people rested on backpacks, took off their shoes and caught their breath after walking 16 of the 100 miles needed to complete the 2026 100-mile Cross Walk.
Hosted by ChristFit Gym, the Cross Walk began at 4 a.m. Friday at Super 1 Foods in Athol and was expected to reach the finish line at The Heart church in Coeur d'Alene around 6 p.m. today. The catch is that the group is carrying a full-size cross every step of the 100 miles.
“Really the heart of it is to just to thank God, glorify God, suffer for him, really, you know, in the physical sense and unite the church,” said Robbie Walden, owner of ChristFit Gym in Coeur d’Alene.
The route will take the walkers to Rathdrum, Spokane, Post Falls, Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley.
Some will walk the whole 100 miles, which will take around 37 hours. Those who wish to join them can do so at any point in the walk and go as far as they like.
Along the way, the group will make stops to rest, eat and evangelize, one of which is the ultimate goal of the event.
“At the end of the day, this event is about Jesus and the cross going 100 miles,” said Stephen Davenport, who came all the way from Oklahoma City, Okla., to participate in the walk.
North Idaho has been home to six other Cross Walks with a distance of 33 miles. This year, it was lengthened to 100.
Walden shared a story from a past Cross Walk where he and his group were baptizing people. Walden said that two women came up to the group and asked to be baptized. While baptizing them, Walden found out that a friend, Billy Weatherall, had been a part of the baptism of the woman’s daughter several states away.
“It's crazy to think about the impact this has had,” said Weatherall, who operates a ChristFit Gym in Bossier City, La.
The 2026 Cross Walk will complete at The Heart church around 6 p.m. today with a gathering and worship service in which the Cross Walk group will carry the cross into the service, completing their 100-mile journey.
“It’s really an awesome time of unity,” Walden said.
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