River Runner Track Club

MARCH SCHEDULE UPDATE
For the month of March, there are a few changes in the wind!
•Tuesdays will now be at 5:30-6:30 at Thurston HS. With THS Track & Field back in session, we’ll begin following their practices.
•Thursdays will have a different look once a month, as resumes their Community Run Series. See their website for details.
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*Please pay attention to Instagram stories or Facebook group posts/event details in case changes need to happen due to spring sporting events at THS. You can also contact us directly through social media or the contact info provided in the post.*

Come check it out on Thursdays 4-5pm as part of our run club!

TUESDAY NIGHT AT THS
We’ve been adding more kiddos and more activities on Tuesday nights! Last week we added some shot put and some ball throwing drills. This week we plan to incorporate some coordination and change of direction.
Think it will be a little chilly? Afterward we have a plan to warm everybody up!
See you 5-6pm at the THS track!
(If SPS schools are closed due to weather, we will not meet.)

Merry Christmas!

🎄 Twenty-six years ago today, on Christmas Eve, the running world lost one of its greatest legends—Bill Bowerman.

Bill became the head coach at the University of Oregon in 1948, and his athletes quickly realized he was part coach, part mad scientist, and part motivational speaker. Picture this: a man in a track suit, pacing around the track at 5 a.m., scribbling notes, adjusting shoes, and shouting things like, “Faster! You’re not running from lions, you’re running from your potential!”

By 1964, Bowerman teamed up with his former student Phil Knight to create a little company called Blue Ribbon Sports—which would eventually become the juggernaut we know as Nike. Legend has it that Bill, staring at a waffle iron one morning, had a lightning bolt of genius: “What if the sole of a running shoe had the same grip as a waffle?” Boom. The waffle shoe was born. Runners everywhere suddenly felt like they had tiny trampolines strapped to their feet. Some say it’s the closest humans have come to flight… without wings.

But Bill wasn’t just about shoes. He wanted everyone to move, to run, to feel alive. He popularized jogging... inspiring thousands to tie up their laces and discover that running could be fun—yes, fun, not just punishment. He believed that a life without movement was like a waffle without syrup—bland and sad.

Over his lifetime, Bowerman coached 31 Olympians, watched 16 athletes break the 4-minute mile, and won four NCAA team championships. And yet, he remained humble, always tinkering, experimenting, and dreaming. He passed away on Christmas Eve, 1999, leaving behind not just a legacy of medals and shoes, but a culture of movement, innovation, inspiration and a touch of whimsy. He was, quite literally, the Father Christmas of Running/Jogging—giving gifts that kept on giving, long after his last step.

So today, lace up your shoes, hit the pavement, or just remember the stories. Because the spirit of Bowerman—and the joy he brought—runs on. 🏃‍♂️✨

OFF AND RUNNING
Where were you when it started? Here’s the group that can always say, “We were there for the first mile.”
The first run of the is behind us, and all the excitement of growth in our path ahead. Thanks to this group for helping begin the process. Some ran, some walked, some cheered others on. There’s a place for everyone in the !

First week complete, and we’ve had over 20 different people already show up! Come join us next week!

“IT’S CUTE”
16 people showed up for Day 2 of the meet-ups! Looking forward to even more next week! Come join us at 4pm Tuesday at Dorris Ranch and Thursday at Thurston High School. We have walkers and joggers, young and old, those casually running and those doing workouts. Somewhere in there, you’ll fit in!

RIVER RUNNER TRACK CLUB
River Runner Track Club, a new group based out of Springfield, OR, is aimed at building the walking, running, and track & field community and promoting engagement of all ages and abilities.

FREE GROUP MEET-UPS
Please join our inaugural FREE meet-ups in December at 4pm on Tuesdays at Dorris Ranch and Thursdays at Thurston HS.

Come walk or run with others!

All ages and abilities welcomed!

Tuesday Thursday
Dec. 2 Dec. 4
Dec. 9 Dec. 11
Dec. 16 Dec. 18

Tuesday meet at Thursday meet at
Dorris Ranch Thurston HS

Pets & strollers ok Strollers ok
No pets please

Questions?
Contact info in the picture