Posted by Will Wright on July 30, 2013 at 10:10:43:
Hang in there, runners: July is almost over. And with the arrival of August comes the return of a steadier stream of foot races and other fitness events.
The Little Flower Petal and Pace Duathlon takes place Saturday, Aug. 3, and the Save-A-Sole 2-Mile Run is set for Sunday, Aug. 4 in Mobile.
The Little Flower Petal and Pace Duathlon features a 5-mile bike ride followed by a 5K run followed by another 5-mile bike ride.
The event is set for 7 a.m. Saturday and is headquartered at Little Flower Catholic Church.
Proceeds from the event go toward a new roof for Little Flower School.
Runners can register at McCoy Outdoor and Run-N-Tri in Mobile and Running Wild in Fairhope until noon Thursday and online until midnight Thursday. Late registration will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the church and on race day from 6 to 6:45 a.m.
Entertainment, food and beverages will be provided after the race.
The Save-A-Sole 2-Mile Run starts at 7:30 a.m. Sunday at Providence Hospital.
Runners are asked to bring gently used shoes and unused race shirt to donate to the Waterfront Rescue Mission.
Runners can register at McCoy Outdoor and Run-N-Tri in Mobile and Running Wild in Fairhope until noon Friday or online until midnight Friday. Race-day registration will be held from 6:30 to 7:15 a.m. at Providence Hospital.
After the race, there'll be drawings for prizes.
On Aug. 6, the Crime Prevention 5K Run will start at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6 in downtown Mobile.
The race is sponsored by the Mobile Police Department.
Runners can register at McCoy Outdoor and Run-N-Tri in Mobile and Running Wild in Fairhope until noon Aug. 5 andonline until midnight Aug. 5. Race-day registration will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. at Bienville Square.
The postrace festivities will feature food, beverages and door prizes.
On Aug. 10, the World-Beater All-Beach 10K Race and Relay will follow the sand from Gulf State Park's Cotton Bayou Beach Complex west almost to the Gulf Shores Public Beach. The individual 10K race will start at 6:50 a.m. The relay race will start at 6:45 a.m., with the course broken into segments of 2 miles, 2 miles and 2.2 miles.
The event has been certified by Guinness World Records for a new category - Fastest 10KM Run On Sand.
The race benefits L'Arche of Mobile.
Runners can register by mail through Saturday, in person at McCoy Outdoor and Run-N-Tri in Mobile and Running Wild in Fairhope until noon Aug. 8, and online until midnight Aug. 8. Race-day registration will be held at the Gulf Shores Public Beach from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m.
Food and beverages will be provided after the race.
The organizers of the World-Beater All-Beach 10K Race and Relay want you in their race, of course. But they also want participants prepared for the challenge of beach running, so they've shared some insight to help runners get ready.
The World-Beater All-Beach 10K Race and Relay will follow the sand from Gulf State Park's Cotton Bayou Beach Complex west almost to the Gulf Shores Public Beach.
"My suggestion for all runners," said Dr. John Kovaleski, professor of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Studies at the University of South Alabama, "is to train for this event by alternating from hard surfaces to the packed sand surface to the loose sand. And alternate back and forth a few times."
Runners are advised to fuel up on the night before the race, since they're likely to expend 30 percent more calories running in the beach race than they would in a road race. And since the race starts at 6:45 a.m., there won't be time for a hardy breakfast.
Runners also are reminded to stretch well on race morning, with particular emphasis on the lower legs, feet and ankles.
During the race, runners are advised to experiment not just with an optimum pace, but an optimum place. Race officials expect most runners to stay close to the hard-packed sand just outside of the waves, although they think some will run wet, and others may try to battle through softer sand away from the waterline to save some steps.
Regardless of where you run, the competitors are advised to lean forward more when running than they would on a hard surface and to run on their toes. These suggestions are designed to reduce the chance of injuries due to the unusual footfalls that will be encountered.
The beach race has a bonus that road courses can't match: If you get too hot, you can always take a dip.
Even though the course is all sand, runners are required to wear shoes in the race.
The Shrimp Knight 5K Run and 3K Fun Run will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 10 at St. Pius X Church in Mobile.
Organized by the St. Pius X Knights of Columbus, the event benefits St. Pius X Church and School.
Runners can register at McCoy Outdoor and Run-N-Tri in Mobile and Running Wild in Fairhope until noon Aug. 8 or online until midnight Aug. 8. Race-day registration will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the church.
After the race, runners and their guests are invited to Shrimp Knight for food, drinks and fun.