road racing
Summer races worth running
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 05-30-2012 under OPINION
Even though a few weeks have passed since the 5/3 River Bank Run, most runners that took on Grand Rapids' big race are still fit and race-ready. That's good because the Grand Rapids area has a few races coming up that should not be missed....
Barefoot Racing Hits Grand Rapids
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 08-10-2011 under LOCAL LIFE
Want to feel the earth move? On Sunday, August 28 the Merrell Naked Foot 5k will hit Grand Rapids and barefoot runners will have the chance to bolt over grass and dirt and be one with Riverside Park. The Merrell Naked Foot 5k series is new this year...
River Bank Run Runner: Katie Woodruff
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 05-11-2011 under LOCAL LIFE
The race of choice: 25k (15.5 miles). This is her first River Bank Run 25k. "I'd thought about it for years, but always, by the time the weather was decent enough to run any serious mileage outside, it was April and really too late to start...
River Bank Run Runner: Shannon Cunningham
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 05-03-2011 under LOCAL LIFE
The race of choice: 25k Why she's running it: "I ask myself that question every year. I think the answer lies in the fact that once you run the River Bank Run (RBR), it's hard not to want to run it again. Between the training, the...
Best Foot Forward: Road Races Not to Miss in 2011
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 01-07-2011 under LOCAL LIFE
Just as you've closed the log book on another year of running and added up the miles, it's time to start thinking about races for the new year. West Michigan has its share of great ones, some are classic "must do" races like the 5/3 River Bank Run...
Running Bares: Three Shoe-Free Runners
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 07-19-2010 under LOCAL LIFE
Taking up barefoot running is quite personal. The reasons people come to it are varied - people explore running barefoot to overcome injuries; others like the idea of improving their running style and form; others like the feel of their feet on the...
Feet on the Ground: The Basics of Barefoot Running
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 07-08-2010 under LOCAL LIFE
Running barefoot, in the competitive sense, isn't as new as some people might think. The movement is building among runners now, especially with minimalist foot covers, which make the sport easier on the feet. Ethiopian Abebe Bikila perhaps set the...
Running Bare: The Shoe-free Running Phenomenon
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 06-30-2010 under LOCAL LIFE
It is said, the best part of snow skiing is taking off the boots. There are runners that feel the same way about running shoes. Over the past few decades, running shoes have developed from thin, flat and barely cushioned footwear to very supportive...
Cherry-ots of Fire: Or How I Became a Sponsored Runner
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 06-04-2010 under OPINION
I'm not sure how The Cherry Marketing Institute found me. I have a few thoughts about it, but I can't say for sure and they've never said. Institutes are mysterious entities. 1) I Tweet and Facebook a lot about running. 2) I went to the launch...
Running The River Bank: Andy Swartz
by (Roberta F. King)
Submitted 05-06-2010 under LOCAL LIFE
People are keeping an eye on the sky and a close ear to the weather reports as Saturday, May 8 and the Fifth Third River Bank Run draws near. Forecasters are predicting cool temperatures and the possibility of rain. Whether it rains or not, 20,...