No more thick leggings and polar fleece, winter running is over! Libby Roach details why you need start shaping up for the Nike Women’s Running Series in Toronto…
In what will surely be one of the most popular athletic events of the season, the Nike Women’s Running Series is hosting their 15K run this June 14 on the gorgeous Toronto Islands. This means two things: either avoid the island at all costs that day; or pounce into action and sign up today for your ticket to ride (the ferry, of course, to the run route — try and keep up!).
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Nike has hosted their extremely popular batch of runs for over 10 years, with 20 world-class cities sharing the spotlight including London, Milan, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. This is the first year Toronto has been included in the series (they did host a separate 10K run in 2003) and it’s largely due to the fact that our city is a hotbed for runners. Not much keeps us from the sport, with packs of 416ers running even during the dire winter months.
Nike keeps tabs on people’s running habits through their popular free run clubs along with their Nike+ app, which saw their numbers stay pretty steady considering how frigid our winter months can be. With all the buzz of the Pan Am Games heading our way this summer, Nike saw this as the perfect opportunity to celebrate the sport of running and the camaraderie that likeminded goals can create.
15K is no walk in the park, but it’s a more attainable goal than a full (or even half) marathon — especially with couch-to-15K programs that can see you going from sloth to squirrel in a matter of months. In preparation, Nike is set to release their 10-week training program next month. Put together by a star-studded crew of Olympic athletes, certified master trainers, and running coaches, it’s a no-brainer so long as you have two legs and two lungs.
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While Nike is tight-lipped about the hardware for finishers, the medals from previous runs come with the cachet of everyone’s favourite light blue box of bling. While men are technically welcome to join the run, they probably won’t be as excited as the throngs of females will be to cross the finish line.
Registration is now open via a lottery as Nike Women’s Running Series Toronto is expected to draw an international audience. The weekend of the run will feature lots of run-related events, including the Zoom Mile, an opportunity for you to put your money where your mouth is and race against your fave runners in real time. After all, we’re all athletes in some form or another so put your best foot forward and never look back.
Will you be registering for Nike Women’s Running Series Toronto this summer? Let Vv Magazine know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.
