Run, Karla, Run!

“Run, Karla, Run!” is giving one lucky winner a free entry to any Reebok Spartan Race in the continental U.S.

Reebok Spartan Race Entry Giveaway

Obstacle races are having a field day; it’s one of the fastest growing trends in the entire sports industry. Forget growth — it’s been more like an explosion. In 2010, approximately 41,000 people entered about 20 obstacle races in the U.S., according to Outside Magazine. By 2012, those 20 events had grown to 150 with 1.5 million people participating. Competitor magazine reports that 2 million people competed in obstacle races in 2012 and the number of obstacle racing events in 2013 will surpass 500.

On of the biggest obstacle race series in the industry is Reebok Spartan Race.  Spartan was voted “Best Obstacle Race in 2012” by Outside Magazine. They’ve got more than 60 events in 2013, including races in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Mexico, Slovakia and Czech Republic.

They offer four race distances to challenge anyone from beginners to the toughest Spartans out there: Read the rest of this entry →

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon is getting a new 10K and a Glass Slipper Challenge. (Photo: runDisney)

Big news from runDisney! Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend from February 20-23, 2014 at Walt Disney World in Florida is getting the royal treatment with a new Disney Princess Enchanted 10K and a new two-race challenge in the Disney Glass Slipper Challenge. Based on the name alone, I like it already.

Princess Half Glass Slipper Challenge

The Glass Slipper Challenge follows in the footsteps of the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland: runners complete both the new Disney Princess Enchanted 10K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday for a total of 19.3 miles. Best of all for Disney bling lovers, runners earn the inaugural Disney Glass Slipper Challenge Medal in addition to the medals from each event, including a new yet-to-be-announced medal for the 10K. Read the rest of this entry →

Marine volunteers give water to runners at the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon. (Photo: Sgt. Jimmy D. Shea/US Marine Corps)

The Active Network issued an apology for the Marine Corps Marathon registration debacle via Marine Corps Marathon’s website. (You can read all about the registration mess here and here.)

But more than an apology, the company announced they are donating all of their fees for the race to two charities affiliated with the marathon: the Wounded Warrior Project and Semper Fi Fund.

Active.com was much maligned for the registration problems by runners in comments on Twitter, Facebook, and other online forums.

But anyone who’s ever had—as many runners were calling it—an epic fail (and let’s be honest, we all have) should at least tip their hat to Active for donating their fee, which is no small amount of money for such a large race.

Here’s the apology in full. Read the rest of this entry →

Photo: Adventure Fit

Want to run the SHAPE Diva Dash obstacle 5K in one of 10 cities across the U.S. this year? Get $5 off registration in Boston and $10 off everywhere else with code BLOG.

SHAPE Diva Dash obstacle 5K

Organized by Boulder, Co., based sports marketing company Adventure Fit, the SHAPE Diva Dash is a series of women’s-only obstacle 5K runs sponsored by SHAPE magazine, LUNA and Oakley. The series began as a single obstacle run in 2011, before expanding to four cities in 2012 and now 10 towns in 2013.

But unlike many popular obstacle runs, you won’t find mud trenches, fire pits or barbed wire. Instead, every race has a dozen obstacles designed to test overall fitness from strength and balance to agility. Obstacles include mazes, ropes, monkey bars, and more. It’s about empowerment, not mud slinging. Costumes are officially encouraged, and every participant receives a technical T-shirt and custom bib with their name on it. Read the rest of this entry →

SHAPE Diva Dash obstacles include rope ladders and monkey bars, not barbed wire and mud pits. (Photo: Adventure Fit)

The SHAPE Diva Dash is expanding to 10 cities in 2013 to meet the increasing demand for women’s-only obstacle runs. The series began as a single obstacle run in 2011, before expanding to four cities in 2012. Now they’re looking at their biggest year yet as they expand to 10 cities in eight states and Washington, D.C. The series’ first race takes off today weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.

One of the drivers in the current running boom has been the proliferation of women. A record 7.6 million ladies finished a road race in 2011 and women now account for 55 percent of all road race finishers in the U.S., according to Running USA. While men’s participation in road races has not quite doubled since 1990, female participation has increased more than 600 percent in the same time frame. Read the rest of this entry →

Cinderella in rags and Jacque the Mouse. (Photo: Marathon Foto)

Wearing running costumes at runDisney races has become an art, thanks to the popularity of events like Disney’s Princess Half Marathon. The race celebrates its fifth anniversary on February 24, and probably inspires more runners to dress as their favorite Disney characters than any other Disney race.

Last year, I was not immune. My husband, Phil, and I ran the 2012 Princess Half Marathon dressed in Cinderella and Prince Charming running costumes. It was so much fun that we got costumed-up again for the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13—this time, as Cinderella in Rags and Jacques the Mouse.

Here’s how we put together Cinderella in Rags and Jacques the Mouse race-friendly running costumes that were both recognizable and comfortable to run in. Best of all, the only tools we needed were a needle, thread, tape, safety pins and a healthy imagination. Read the rest of this entry →

Cinderella in rags running costume (Photo: Karla Bruning)

I’m a Disney running costume junkie. I’ve run four Disney races and three of them in costume: 2012 Tinker Bell Half Marathon, 2012 Disney’s Princess Half Marathon and 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon.

So I’ve decided to spread the running costume love.

Running Costume Skirt Giveaway

I’m giving away a brand new skirt identical to the one I wore at the Walt Disney World Marathon on Jan. 13 when I dressed as Cinderella in Rags.

If Cinderella in Rags isn’t your style, the skirt could also double as a running costume piece for Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty’s Briar Rose, Hercules, or something more creative like Bambi.

Here are the details: Read the rest of this entry →

Medals from the 2012 LA Marathon. (Photo: Michael Dorausch via Creative Commons)

The LA Marathon is a race that’s on my to-do list. A start at Dodger Stadium and a net-downhill finish on the beach in Santa Monica? Yes, please.

Unfortunately, I’ve had a race-day scheduling conflict every year that it’s been on my radar. But it can’t stop me from dreaming.

If you’re one of the lucky folks heading to Southern California for the LA Marathon on March 17, check out this hotel package from the Shore Hotel. It isn’t cheap, but it sure is convenient.

The hotel is just four blocks (or a half-mile) from the race’s finish on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica.

And getting to the race couldn’t be easier. The marathon’s complimentary pre-race shuttles in Santa Monica are just two and a half blocks away—an easy third of a mile warm-up. Read the rest of this entry →

The New Balance women’s runDisney shoe, inspired by Minnie Mouse. (Photo: runDisney)

Co-branding shoes might be the hottest emerging trend in running apparel. In the past year alone, Nike launched USA Track & Field co-branded Air Pegasus+ 29 as the official shoe of the U.S. Olympic Trials, and K-Swiss released Stand Up to Cancer co-branded Kwicky Blade-Light shoes as part of their charitable alliance.

Now New Balance and Disney are getting in on the act. New Balance and runDisney, Disney’s sports branch that organizes running races at Disney parks in Florida and California, released today limited edition runDisney 860v3 running shoes that evoke Disney’s most iconic characters—Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Minnie’s classic red and white polka dot dress inspired the design for the women’s shoe and Mickey’s black tuxedo look inspired the men’s shoe.

I had a chance to chat with New Balance’s marketing manager, Josh Rowe, before the Walt Disney World Marathon Heath & Fitness Expo this morning and see the new shoes in person. Read the rest of this entry →

Turn any pair of running shoes into a snow stopper. With Yaktrax Run, packed snow and ice is no longer an impediment to winter running. Just pop Yaktrax Run onto your existing running shoes, and you can run naturally in the iciest conditions. This is a great gift for a runner who sometimes needs a little winter traction, but doesn’t want to invest in snowshoes —namely, runners like me. Read the rest of this entry →

Want to train with Meb Keflezighi? Rock the Race with Meb, sponsored by the Meb Edition Sony W Series Walkman, can make it happen.

The 2GB Meb Edition Sony W Series MP3 player comes pre-loaded with audio tips from the marathon man himself along with a booklet on nutrition, stretching, strategy, and more — including a list of Meb’s favorite running songs. A portion of the sales go to the MEB FOUNDATION that aims to help kids lead healthy, balanced lives. Sony has pledged a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $20,000 based on unit sales.

Best of all, they’re giving away three amazing trips to three lucky winners, one that literally includes training with Meb. Read the rest of this entry →

Wondering what to buy the runner in your life? The “Run, Karla, Run!” holiday gift guide is here to help. Here are some gift ideas at every price point from $10 to $150 — all of them wear tested by yours truly with the “Run, Karla, Run!” stamp of approval.

Hippie Runner 4Head Headband

Under $10

Hippie Runner 4Head Headbands – $5

When Hippie Runner says “No Slide/No Sweat,” they’re not kidding. These headbands promise to stay in place and keep the sweat out of your eyes while running. Guess what? They really do. I wear a Hipper Runner 4Head Headband just about every time I race and nary a drop gets in my way. Made of nylon spandex, the headbands stretch to fit any head and come in a wide array of colors and patterns — way cuter than sweatbands of yore.

Under $25

Books are always a great gift choice, and a new slew of running reads hit the bookshelves this fall. Read the rest of this entry →

lucy’s threads are cuter than your average running wear. (Photo: lucy)

lucy Activewear’s new running gear for winter aims to keep runners warm and stylish. Based in California, lucy is a fashion-forward line of exercise apparel for women featuring running, yoga and fitness wear. As a company founded by women for women, lucy believes that workout gear should not only be tough enough for your workout but should be flattering too.

I put three items from lucy’s Holiday 2012 running line to the test in weather from 22 degrees and snowing in Quebec to 42 degrees and sunny in New York. lucy’s winter running wear passed both the comfort and style tests, keeping me cozy and cute as I ran. I also put them through the laundry wringer a few times to check how well they wear and wash — like a dream. After a month of constant, and I mean constant wear, they still look and feel brand new. All three pieces are my new go-to running gear. They’re a perfect holiday gift idea for the running lady in your life. Read the rest of this entry →

Screenshots from the McRun iPhone app.

Just about every runner who has ever used a pace calculator has obsessed over the McMillan Running Calculator on McMillanRunning.com. They’ve plugged in actual finish times, they’ve plugged in planned finish times, they’ve plugged in dream finish times to help them predict how fast they can run their next race and plan their pacing.

Now, iPhone users can harness the power of the McMillan Running Calculator with a simple tap of the finger. Brought to you by running coach Greg McMillan, “McRun” is now available as an iOS app in the Apple iTunes Store. Read the rest of this entry →

Thank you to everyone who entered to win a pair of Mizuno running shoes and an invite to The Mezamashii Project. We had 51 entrants via blog comments and 23 via Twitter. I read every single comment and tweet—it’s so great to hear from all of you. There are so many wonderful reasons to run, and I wish I could give you all free shoes, from the newbies who are just falling in love with the sport to the Boston qualifiers who are looking for an even faster ride.

Alas, I have just four pairs to give away. I chose two of them randomly through Random.org and the other two at my own discretion. So without further ado, the four lucky winners are: Read the rest of this entry →