Nike kicked off its six-week training run series for the Nike+ Human Race in style last night at Guero’s on South Congress.
Several hundred runners showed up for the event, which was well-covered by local media and TV stations. Helping to launch the event were key leaders Paul Carrozza (of RunTex), Mayor Will Wynn, and Governor Rick Perry.
Carrozza remarked that “we are honored to be one of the 25 global cities Nike chose for this event, and that “we are the fittest city in the country.”“It’s been a great summer for the running business in Austin so far,” Carrozza added.
Wynn followed up with remarks about how Austin has continued to embrace a more healthy lifestyle, and that coming out to train for the Nike + Human Race is part of that.
And finally, Governor Perry rallied the runners. “There’s no better city anywhere on earth than Austin,” he said.
Runners chose either a three or five mile course and headed out in pace groups ranging from 8-12 minute miles. The courses were hilly, but there were surprisingly few cars in Austin’s downtown neighborhoods.
The evening wrapped up with live music and tasty burritos on Guero’s outdoor patio as the sun went down. All in all, a nice Tuesday evening!See the slideshow here
Note: In addition to the Tuesday run at Guero’s Taco Bar (1412 S. Congress Ave) at 7pm, Nike will also host runs at Starbucks (24th Street & Nueces near the University of Texas) every Saturday at 8am and at Six Lounge (117 West 4th Street) every Thursday at 7pm. Every Tuesday at Guero’s, Nike will showcase a new local band in partnership with the Austin Music Foundation. Human Race partners including Salt Lick and Shiner will also be raffling prizes as part of the Global Passport Incentive program.
