Well, not really a race. It’s actually kind of cooler than a race. On October 10th at 830 am the NYC Barefoot Run will begin on Governor’s Island running the largest ever official barefoot and minimalist shoe race in NYC. Will there be more barefoot and minimalist running races coming to a town near you? Who knows? This race is a “Run Your Distance” event where everyone starts together and each individual decides when they want to stop. The NYC Barefoot Run wants to promote healthy, safe, and fun running, not crazy “break your knees down so you can’t run anymore” running. The course is just a 2.1 mile loop that runners can run as many times they want. It’s a really unique idea, a run that is geared precisely for fun and health. Awards and T-shirts are for suckers. We’re all winners in this race.
Terra Plana and VivoBarefoot are sponsoring the event. Galahad Clack, owner of Terra Plana and creator of Vivobarefoot states, “This is a growing community of people who are questioning conventions and are passionate about rediscovering the right way to run. We are proud to support a weekend of events based around education and building the movement.” VivoBarefoot is on the forefront (or foot) of the minimalist movement, I reviewed their Vivobarefoot EVO and really loved them. Terra Plana is innovative and have been working on minimalist running shoes for a while now. I also personally learned minimalist running techniques from Lee Saxby at Outdoor Retailer this year. A perfect company to partner with for this event, especially since their only retail store in the United States is in NYC.
This event is, “a weekend of educational, social, and athletic happenings to support the growing recognition that going barefoot, or as close to it as possible, is the healthiest way to be.” There is going to be a lot of notable attendees to help educate runners about the barefoot movement such as Daniel Lieberman, the Harvard professor who found that barefoot running was healthier than traditional running, validating the ideas in the book Born to Run. Barefoot Ted, the larger than life barefoot runner who some consider to be the grandfather of barefoot running will be there, along with many other very notable barefoot runners.
So if you are new to barefoot running (I would wear minimalist shoes on the streets of NYC) or just want to learn more about the movement, this is a great event to attend. You only have to run is 2.1 miles! If you don’t live in the NYC area, then maybe a barefoot/minimalist race will come to an area near you soon. Maybe that’s the new movement…
