Barefoot Runners

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Barefoot Divisions at Miracle Match Marathon, Half-marathon, and 5K - Waco TX (Read 488 times)

Barefoot Rick


Barefoot Runner

    Race Director Nancy Goodnight and I have been in contact and she has agreed in principle to barefoot divisions at the Waco Texas Miracle Match Marathon, Half-marathon, and 5K on January 31, 2010. We are still working out some of the details, but a press release on MarathonGuide.Com is forthcoming. In addition, she asked me to do the keynote at their pasta banquet. My talk is titled "Running the R.A.C.E." (Resolve, Aim, Character, Endurance) which highlights how I go into barefoot running and the reasons I continue highlighting some notables such as Roger Bannister, JFK, Dean Karnazes, and others.

    Here is the press release:

    ---------------------------------------

    Press Release Waco Miracle Match Marathon – January 31, 2009

    Cash Prizes, Bare feet, Covered Backs, and Texas Size Hospitality!!!
    The Waco Miracle Match Marathon is proud to announce several new and exciting changes for our January 31st race! We are very excited to be introducing barefoot running divisions this year for our Marathon, Half-marathon and 5K race distances under the guidance of Barefoot Rick Roeber.  It’s a good thing Texas temps in January rarely result in frostbite…

     

    Also, for the first time in the event’s brief history we will be offering cash prizes as follows:
     Overall Male/Female $500.00 each
     2nd Male/Female $250 each
     3rd Male/Female $100 each
     1st Masters Male/Female $100 each
     Course Record $100 bonus!

     

    Lastly, as they have completed the toughest marathon in the Lone Star state, we will be honoring our full marathon finishers with a black embroidered wind jacket, as well as technical shirts to those who complete the half. Our medals are once again unique, hand forged iron designs from a local artisan.  The 2010 race medal will feature the Maltese Cross, a gesture to our amazing Firefighters who help host our event. And to fully celebrate your completion of a Texas size challenge, the award winning Waco Cooking Cowboys will be onsite serving a full fajita dinner- come to Waco for a Lone Star size party!

    ----------------------------------------

    Hope to see some of you there (especially the newly formed Austin Barefoot Running Club!)

    (Then ... the next weekend we have a west coast barefoot "meet-up" at Surf City in Huntington Beach. Whew!)

     

    Regards,

     

    Rick

    Romans 10:15 - How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!
      http://barefootrunner.org
    Barefoot Rick


    Barefoot Runner

      Whoops! Here's the website. Info will be forthcoming on the website per the RD.

       

      http://www.sw.org/web/SW/patientsAndVisitors/iwcontent/public/marathon/en_us/html/marathon.html

      Romans 10:15 - How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!
        http://barefootrunner.org


      #2867

        There's discussion going on about having a barefoot division at the Pineland Farms Trail Challenge next May as well up here in Maine. No word on whether it would be a division or if it would just be a random raffle prize or a different finisher's prize (this race gives cowbells to all finishers. They're pretty sweet.)

        Run to Win
        25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

          At first I thought this was awesome.

           

          But I like to win my age group against shod runners.

           

          To be honest and after more thought on the subject, I feel like this is a step in the wrong direction. 

          I don’t want to be segregated! (yes, i realize this division would be optional)

          I would rather that barefoot runners be viewed as just another runner.  No big deal.  Just another style of running. 

          This may take time but creating divisions to divide us isn't the best route, in my opinion. 

           

          Divisions make sense to separate people with biological differences, i.e. age, gender, weight, disabilities. 

           

          But divisions for shoes and the shoeless?

          Why stop there then? 

          Lets create a cotton t-shirt and a tech-fabric division?  How about a non-bodyglide division for the purists who don't feel the need to race with bodyglide? 

          Oh I know,  bald people should be in their own division as well.  I just don’t feel right running against someone without hair.  Seems like they have some sort of an unfair advantage.

           

          All joking aside,

          Barefooting doesn’t give an unfair advantage.  So it shouldn’t be its own division.

           

          I may be wrong here. And I am sure plenty of you will dislike what I have posted.  But I don’t know,  I just don’t know.

           

          I love Barefoot Rick and all he has done. 

          I am for the promotion of barefoot running.  I just want people to know that we are runners same as them.  Not just some freaks that like to go against the flow. 

          We just dont like to wear shoes.  Thats all.  Nothing crazy.  Its nothing that needs its own division so people will feel safe from us.  Or so we will feel special and vindicated. 

           

          If you want to bring barefooters to the race then put things like "Barefooters are Welcome here!" ads and such.

          The right path is my path.
          Barefoot Rick


          Barefoot Runner

            From Race Director Nancy Goodnight ...
            ---------------------------------------------------------------

            I view this from a runner's perspective rather than a race director's. I in order to explain, I would like to offer my own history: I was a shy chubby kid in the band, with no athletic experience whatsoever. I was academically very strong, but I was also extremely reserved and fearful of anything new and different. I was not one to go out on the limb in any situation. But in my adult life I became a runner...


            I ran my first marathon at age 34 after my 4th daughter was born. To have run around the block before then was a daunting idea; to run 26.2 miles was absolutely inconceivable. But I did it. And since then. as I am sure so many of you have experienced, I have continued to raise the bar and venture out into new and unchartered territory. That is the very thing that keeps us alive, moving beyond our comfort zones. It is when we push our limits and test ourselves that we feel the most alive. 55 marathons later, and managing a PR of 3:25 at age 42 (not 'elite' I know, but I am still proud of it), I still am not finished seeing what's next in my great adventure...


            Have I tried barefoot running? No,not yet. Will I? If I get up the guts, yes!!! Several of my friends actively run barefoot and are most encouraging.


            I opened this division in celebration of those who accept challenge and defy convention, those who go beyond limitations of conventional ways, and try something that works for them despite negativism from our conservative culture.


            It's a celebration. But then again, isn't every marathon? For me it is-


            Nancy Goodnight

            Race Director

            Waco Miracle Match Marathon

            254-405-2518 

            Romans 10:15 - How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!
              http://barefootrunner.org


            Imminent Catastrophe

              All joking aside, Barefooting doesn’t give an unfair advantage.  So it shouldn’t be its own division.

               

              Agreed. How about a Fivefingers division? A Huarache Sandals division? Or a "I wrapped my feet in duct tape" division? 

              It's a fun gimmick but I don't think it will catch on. I hope not.

              "Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"

               "To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain

              "The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.

               

              √ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015

              Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016

              Western States 100 June 2016

              Barefoot Rick


              Barefoot Runner

                We have bantered this question around since Omaha decided to have barefoot divisions 3 years ago. We bantered it around years before that, also. Some believe we should .. some don't.

                Here's my take. Omaha hasn't grown much in numbers in barefoot runners in the past 3 years that they've had barefoot divisions. Maybe they won't. Not sure. Not sure whether Waco will either. Not sure actually if that is the point. The point is, in my mind, is that it is a remarkable and out of the ordinary thing (still) for barefoot runners to be running races whether there are divisions or not. The reason I know this is because the media tells me so by their desire to cover it. If some race directors want to do it, more power to them I say. As Ken Bob says, "There's no such thing as bad publicity" and I agree with him. People will bring their own prejudices to their assumptions regardless.

                 

                Regarding running in Vibrams, duct tape, ad nauseum ... well, there is nothing remarkable about that! Send out a press release to your local news agency and tell them you're going to run in Vibrams and see if you get any takers for an interview!

                 

                My recommendation to barefoot runners is if you want to participate in the BF divisions ... good. If not, that's okay too. With the divisions, we have a choice. Choices aren't bad in my opinion. I think the more folks can talk about, see, and debate barefoot running, the better. More people will see it that way. Not everybody is going to hear about McDougall's book. But there might be some who will hear about barefoot running through either Omaha or Waco. Who knows? I do know this, if it continues on the fringe it will continue to be "weird" to the majority.

                In the end, this will probably have little affect on people's perceptions. But, then again, it can only help spread the word ... then folks can make up their own mind.

                Romans 10:15 - How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!
                  http://barefootrunner.org