Lace Up for the Best Runs in Sarasota

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, March 20th, 2016 – Rank distance running amongst the activities that have been contributing to the delights of living in Sarasota which has been recognized as a runner-friendly community by the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA).

The RRCA, which certifies courses and sanctions footraces, is the oldest and largest U.S. organization dedicated to distance running. It certified Sarasota as runner-friendly after determining that distance running enjoys staunch government and community support as well as confirming availability of ample infrastructures in the area supportive of this sports discipline.

Indeed, Sarasota has plenty of community organizations strongly dedicated to running either for recreation, physical fitness or competitive activity. Their enthusiasm notably jibes with the robust efforts to promote the area as a destination for tourists and for potential buyers of Sarasota homes for sale.

Multiple Running Events

Local groups supporting running include the 40-year old Manasota Track Club (MTC) and the Sarasota Athletic Association (SAC) which both worked vigorously for the RRCA certification. Established in 1975, the MTC annually holds about a dozen or so races among which are a racing series, RRCA-sanctioned events, fun beach runs, and the annual Sarasota half marathon which kicked off its 11th edition and its relay side event in March 2016. There was another fun and festive halfsie held in February billed as The Sarasota Music Half Marathon, now in its second year this 2016, with 20 live bands performing at every kilometer of the way.

Conducive to training runners, the SAC and MTC are also networked with plenty of local running or track coaches, many of whom have been active trainers for over two decades. As a result, local footraces are popular amongst Sarasota high school or middle school students, a testimony to the long-standing and strong community commitment to youth sports, particularly running.

As encouraging for runners, there are hundreds of miles of sidewalks and trails winding along the Sarasota bayfront and the Gulf Coast, in addition to similar runner-friendly pathways in the county’s interiors. Many of the local neighborhoods, subdivisions and villages, in fact, have walking paths or nature trails, features purposively included to enhance values of Sarasota homes for sale.

A Come-on for Tourists

Additionally, the area’s tourism drumbeater Visit Sarasota promotes running as one of the lifestyle activities that could be enjoyed in addition to other various local attractions. The agency, in fact, has drawn up its own suggested runners’ routes of varying distances and locales such as the Ringling, downtown and Ringling Bridge and the 10.8-mile Legacy Trail extending from Sarasota to Venice.

Easily, one of the most popular of these runners’ havens for the out-and-back course from the Ringling Museum which offers a choice between an easy 2.3-mile and a challenging 10-miler. Besides having a renowned art gallery as backdrop, this route opens to low-traffic roads providing quaint views of some of interesting local neighborhoods, such as Sapphire Shores and Indian Beach that are popular too amongst searchers of Sarasota homes for sale.

Quite convenient, popular road training routes have strategically placed hydration stations for runners put up early on each Saturday morning, thanks to several of Sarasota’s business partners. Likewise, restrooms are opened by public works employees at six in the morning to accommodate the needs of walkers, joggers and runners.

Truly characteristic of a runner-friendly community, the city government of Sarasota works closely with road race organizers regarding permits and event logistics. It helps too that many of the local enforcement officers are runners themselves, and their peers provide support not only by volunteering or working as motorcycle escorts but also cheering on Sarasota’s road athletes.