Run Warsaw!

Remember the movie Forrest Gump? One of my favorite parts is when he just kept running and running and running. After a few weeks, people start following Forrest as he crosses the country and then runs back to his home in Alabama. He is given credit for starting the jogging craze of the 70's, and launching the fitness boom, spawning our obsession with burning calories or limiting their intake.

Here in Poland, the quest for self-improvement has lagged behind a few decades. There just isn't that much of a need for exercise when people are concerned with getting ahead in the new economy, or, to be more succinct, just getting to and from work. This usually involves walking, a novel concept that most of America has long forgotten. Combine this with the lack of fast food and the average Pole stays relatively svelte without the need for self-imposed physical torture.

Corporate giant, Nike, a genius at forecasting and even manufacturing trends has decided that Poles need to get fit. The last few years, they have invested a significant chunk of the swoosh fund in putting on Run Warsaw, a 5k / 10 K road race.

The entry fee is only 25 zloty (about $9)and includes a sweet tech fabric T-shirt and a week long membership at a local fitness chain. This takes me back to the good old days in the early 90's when you could enter Grandma's Marathon for a mere $20. And I could usually count on my loving mother to pick up the tab. Now, I don't think you can find many road races back home that are under $25.

This brilliant marketing scheme has certainly paid dividends for Phil Knight and company. The race was filled to capacity with 20,000 participants eager to see if they could finish the 3.1 mile distance. Most decided to forego the 10k, as I'm sure this was a first-time road race for many.

Anyway . . . here are some pics. In the spirit of non-conformity, we decided to funk things up a bit and give our Nike shirts a bit of added flair. You have to do something to stand out among such a huge crowd.