Jeremy Wallace does not run to be turned into human Fun Dip, nor does he purposely slosh through mud should he encounter it. The organizer and coach for the 500-member-strong Las Vegas Runners group runs for his well-being. It’s his way of starting the day right.
“The problems I’ll encounter during the day, whatever I have to accomplish for the day, I’ll go through those during the run,” he says. “It’s more than getting in shape or being skinny or running a fast time for me. It’s more about being relaxed and in tune with my body and exercising freedom we typically don’t have in our society.”
Given his zenful answer, it’s no surprise that he gives a hard pass on any of the local novelty runs and obstacle courses—from the Color Run and Insane Inflatable 5K to Tough Mudder and the annual Great Santa Run—which have proliferated across the valley faster than Usain Bolt’s morning warmup. Joining the usual charity 5Ks and endurance slogs on the running calendar are, among others, the boozy Margarita Run, happening March 25 at Cornerstone Park in Henderson; ColorMy5K Color Run, scheduled to happen April 29 at Craig Ranch Regional Park; and the Badass Dash obstacle course, slated for May 20 at Sam Boyd Stadium.
They not only won’t clear your head, but they’ll likely cover it in soap suds or multicolored powder, or fill it with dread, if you’re participating in a zombie-dodging run, because those happen, too. Nonetheless, Wallace is accepting of them. Given the group he coordinates and the perspective he keeps on running, he understands their appeal. He and his crew of traditional hotfoots actually see novelty races, Spartan runs and the like as a gateway to running.
“Not everyone is wired for running long distances or marathons,” Wallace says. “They can be daunting [and] monotonous; the training can be difficult and not every exciting. There are people out there who need something different or more. To have a color or bubble run in a 5K—if that’s what floats their boat, I’m all for it. Someone people just love climbing things and being part of a team ... we don’t look down on them.”
Ultimately, they get more people moving. Local entrepreneur Nicole Sligar has walked a large number of them over the past five years with her young daughter—and numerous other participants who love spectacle, socializing and just being active. “Anything we can do to get outside and move our bodies is awesome,” she says. “I wasn’t raised that way. I want to make sure my daughter is.”
