From: Jennifer Hanson, thenorthbaybay.ca staff
NORTH BAY — Tad Lamar hates the feel of gym shorts.
“To me, there’s nothing worse than the rub of fabric against my legs,” says Lamar. “And to feel that for forty-two kilometers straight is agony.”
Lamar is just one of dozens of “skin sprinters” who will be participating in North Bay’s first ever “Streakathon” on Saturday.
“It’s a 42.1 kilometer run that exposes North Bay to the joggers while exposing the joggers to North Bay.”
Unlike most marathons, this particular cross-country race will be done totally nude.
“I just find it so liberating,” says experienced runner Sheena Butts. “I’ve run sixteen marathons in my life, including the Boston, Kilimanjaro, and Tokyo Marathons, but it was a marathon in Las Vegas where I first thought of dropping my pants.”
“Like, literally. I just thought – ‘this is dumb, these stupid tights are slowing me down,’ so I took them off and then top too. Not only was it the best run of my life, but it was also my best run time.”
Beginners Welcome
Butts wants to emphasize that Saturday’s run, which starts at 10 and will take runners from The North Bay Regional Health Centre to The Steve Omischl Sports Complex and back, is open to everyone.
“Anyone who wants to run any distance nude or nearly nude is totally welcome,” says Butts. “I know it takes courage and endurance. I spent almost two years doing ‘Streaktahons’ and ‘Raw Runs’ preparing myself for this race.”
“If you’re embarrassed about taking your bottoms off, just grab your favourite panties and make it a ‘Marathong.”
“The Cold Helps”
Tad Lamar says he’s “incredibly excited” to run, but is also a little nervous.
“I always get pre-run jitters before a skin sprint,” smiles Lamar. “But I know it’s going to go well. The colder weather helps with the centrifugal force a bit because everything’s a bit smaller down there.”
“It’s going to be a blast. I can’t wait to take off my robe, do a couple of big lunges, and then run through North Bay completely naked. I know my whole family will be out to see and cheer me on.”