Nike draws more than 10,000 runners at Reuse-A-Shoe
30 May '05
4 min read
From the Beaches to High Park, Markham to Mississauga; more than 10,000 runners gathered on Toronto Island to participate in the Nike RUNTO 10k, May 29th. The neighbourhood taunts that started the campaign, such as "Hey Greektown, you invented the marathon. So what's 10k" and "Bay Street, just to clear things up, 10k is a distance, not a bonus", united the runners who soaked in the ambiance and formed friendships with fellow participants.
"The great thing about RUNTO is that it inspires so many people that have never thought about taking up running before to get out there, lace up their shoes and hit the pavement," explains Derek Kent, head of Corporate Communications, Nike. "It's great to see so many people out for RUNTO and donating shoes to the campaign for a great cause."
Nike RUNTO 10k lived up to the promise of delivering attendees more than just a 10k run. Along the run route musicians livened spirits with rhythmic beats and inspiring vocals from a choir chorus to good old fashioned rock 'n roll. On the grounds, local DJs spun tunes to keep the energy flowing before the "Who Rocks This Town?" Battle of the Bands began. Ten area bands competed head-to-head to determine the crowd favourite.
Runners that participated in 69 training runs that were held across the city, peered through the crowd to catch a glimpse of the 120 oversize photos of their training runs taken by local photographers on display. Attendees enjoyed six beach sports areas, 24 massage therapists and a22,