News Release: Foot Traffic, Saucony, & Sport Oregon Team Up for ‘RUN IT LOCAL’ Event June 1 on Downtown Waterfront to Mark Global RUnning Day
PORTLAND, Ore. – Foot Traffic, Saucony, and Sport Oregon today announced they will be hosting a kickoff event to celebrate Global Running Day on Wednesday, June 1. The “RUN IT LOCAL” event, which will feature a free guided group run at 7 a.m., will be held along Portland’s downtown waterfront in commemoration of Global Running Day, a worldwide celebration of running that encourages people of all ages and abilities to get moving.
Wednesday’s run – which will also include organizers from area races, mascots and information booths – serves as a kickoff for the RUN IT LOCAL campaign, which embodies the ethos that a focus on wellness within the local community results in a thriving, healthy and connected citizenry. The run will start from Foot Traffic’s downtown location (333 SW Taylor St), with all attendees and runners encouraged to meet there at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday.
"Foot Traffic has always been the hub for all things running, which is why we are bringing together many of the top races and running organizations in the state to kick off Global Running Day and do good for our community in the process,” said Sean Rivers, owner of Foot Traffic.
As part of RUN IT LOCAL, area runners are encouraged to use the code “RUNLOCAL” when registering for one of the many partner races held in the state this summer. By using the code while registering during the month of June, $5 per registration will be directed to the non-profit Girls on the Run Greater Oregon. Additionally, $20 per pair of Saucony running shoes sold at any Foot Traffic stores or online in June will go to Girls on the Run, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.
“Events like RUN IT LOCAL are a perfect fit for Sport Oregon,” said Maika Janat-Vennemann, senior director and general manager of Sport Oregon. “This is a great opportunity for the local running community to reactivate and help bring our wonderful downtown area back to life, all while supporting a terrific organization like Girls on the Run, a group that is fully in line with our mission and our SHE FLIES initiative to get girls in the game, empower female coaches and instill a fit for life ethos.”
For more information, click here to go to the RUN IT LOCAL page on the Foot Traffic website. Foot Traffic is a locally owned and operated destination for runners and walkers with five retail locations in the Portland area.
WHO: Foot Traffic, Sport Oregon, local race organizers
WHAT: RUN IT LOCAL Kickoff Event
WHY: In celebration of Global Running Day and the launch of RUN IT LOCAL campaign
WHERE: Meet at Foot Traffic Downtown (333 SW Taylor St), run on waterfront
WHEN: Wednesday, June 1 – group run begins at 7 a.m.