It’s an annual rite of spring here in Austin, Texas. Twenty-three thousand runners gathered for the annual Capital 10K race. Some came to race, some to run, and others just to ‘survive’ the hills. The costume contest wasn’t short of entries: the running Gumbies, an armadillo, Pac Man, runners in bathrobes, various superheroes, a potted plant. The Austin Police Academy cadets ran in formation. Along with the official water stops, neighbors supplied bananas, cookies, Krispy Kreme donuts, and beer. There were professional bands along the course, garage bands (good ones) in the neighborhoods, and a church on the route blared Handel’s Messiah over a stereo, perhaps just to remind everyone it was a Sunday. A pair of marriage proposals – one before the race, a second at the finish line – ended happily. There’s a slideshow of the race on the Austin newspaper web site here: http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/2011-capitol-10000-032711/(Photo 68 is of me!)
Some of the members of our local barefoot runners group - http://www.meetup.com/Austin-Barefoot-Running/- met before the start. So far, the count is up to eight barefoot runners (not including a few we saw take off their shoes part way through the race). Some of our group ran in Vibrams or the New Balance Minimus, and a couple of beginners stuck with their regular running shoes - they plan to run a 5K as their first barefoot race later this spring. Of course, at a race this size, it’s hard to get an accurate count, but to estimate that 500 of the 23,000 participants ran either barefoot or minimal would be on the low side.
Jim
Some of the members of our local barefoot runners group - http://www.meetup.com/Austin-Barefoot-Running/- met before the start. So far, the count is up to eight barefoot runners (not including a few we saw take off their shoes part way through the race). Some of our group ran in Vibrams or the New Balance Minimus, and a couple of beginners stuck with their regular running shoes - they plan to run a 5K as their first barefoot race later this spring. Of course, at a race this size, it’s hard to get an accurate count, but to estimate that 500 of the 23,000 participants ran either barefoot or minimal would be on the low side.
Jim
