Your first barefoot runner sighting.

[Barefoot Gentile]

I ran my first 5k in 1976, I was 6 years old, and that is when I saw my first barefoot runner. This race was called "The Tin Whistle 5k" which was sponsored by this irish bar/resturant called "The tin Whistle". This race become a tradition for my family growing up, my aunts, uncles, would always run this race. I think back now they probably just ran the race for the massive celebration back at the bar, because no one in my family besides my sister are runners. You gotta love the irish, always up for a party. I remember as a kid hanging out at the bar, and knowing it was a good time. I had a good time as well! So this race was a yearly tradition until the bar was sold and they no longer had the race.



Back to my point, I saw this guy who ran the race barefoot one more time, and that was it. But I always remembered this barefoot runner dude. Growing up, my family and relatives really lived a barefoot lifestyle, looking back no one wore shoes, they do now. But back in the 70's it was different I guess. So it's funny it took me this long to run barefoot.

 

[The Ramzev]

   1989, when I was a Junior

1989, when I was a Junior in highschool, I was at the state XC meet and there was a Native American runner for an upstate school who ran the Div. 1 race barefoot. He blew everyone away. Since then I always wanted to try it but didn't, until a few years ago of course.

 

[migangelo]

i must have been around 10 or

i must have been around 10 or so my first time seeing people run who weren't at the beach. i grew up in so cal not too far from the beach so we were there a lot. you always knew who the tourists were because they shoes on the sand. anyway, we went to visit my aunt in Mexico. the neighborhood boys all ran around bf on the rock streets. not gravel mind you but rocks. they were too big to be considered gravel. at least that's the way i remember them.

so they ran up and down the street like nothing and made fun of me for wearing shoes. i finally took them off and played with them. one kid liked me so he offered me his rooster. of course i couldn't take it but i will never forget it. i don't think i ever ran bf again until recently. i do remember i raced in pe in socks once.



Mike

 

[Barefoot TJ]

My sister ran track barefoot

My sister ran track barefoot in school when we were young. I always thought it was because we were poor (8 kids, 2 parents, full, step, half). When my dad died a couple years ago, she and I spoke about it. I asked her why she ran barefoot. She said that the dirt on the tracks in San Diego were covered in sand, so they couldn't get any traction. My other sister brought out a picture with three girls running barefoot on the track, one being my barefoot running sister. Strange I never thought about her while I was going through my shoe hell. We've been somewhat estranged from each other for the past 20+ years.

 

[Tristan]

I don't think I have ever

I don't think I have ever seen anyone run barefoot in person...

 

[lparker]

The  first barefoot runner

The first barefoot runner I've seen in person was.....me! And he's been the only one I've seen in two years.

 

[Joshh]

This is great.  Mike your

This is great. Mike your story with the rooster was awesome and TJ's, sweet and sad. Ramzev's was a great visual and BF Gentile's too.

When we moved to America last summer, my family and I went for a hike and were passsed by three high school guys barefooting it down a gravel road. Two were picking their way along and the third was booking. Since then I have yet to see another beyond my homies in our chapter here. Now that I think of it, just about all the kids in Tahiti BF it.