The Mile High Squash group consists of about fifty underserved Hispanic students in Denver.  In addition to squash lessons and healthy lifestyle direction, the MHS organization also provides academic tutoring for 6^th – 12^th grade students.  Newton Running designer has been involved with the MHS program since they started the program in 2008 from an academic perspective, but since he came to Newton Running, his contribution will be physical fitness and squash.

Here he am with 20-students from the Mile High Squash organization working on their running form as they prepare for their first annual “MHS Running to College 5k” on October 22 in Denver, CO.  The session included a brief warm-up session consisting of form drills followed by running and walking for 20-minutes, and then some barefoot cool down stretches and balancing drills on the squash court.

i-tri Girls Learn Natural Running Form

We’re proud to be involved with many philanthropic organizations, abroad as well as those close to home. One such organization is i-tri Girls, a small New York non-profit started by one mom who wanted to help local high-school girls find empowerment through sport.

She founded i-tri Girls as a community-based intervention program that fosters self-respect, personal empowerment, self confidence, positive body image and healthy lifestyle choices for adolescent girls. Through the sport of triathlon and a curriculum of physical fitness and nutrition activities, self-affirming lessons of respect, responsibility, teamwork and dedication, i-tri Girls develop healthy habits and attitudes that last a lifetime.

Last week, Newton Running’s Michael Blanchard held a natural running form clinic at the Gubbins Running Ahead store, and the girls all received a pair of Newton Running shoes.

SkirtSports Founder Nicole DeBoom Leads Fun Run

A 13-weeks pregnant Nicole DeBoom joined a running group at The Runner’s Soul in La Grange, Illinois last Monday. The former Ironman Champion and founder of Skirt Sports took part in a fun run. Newton Running tech rep Justin Dyszelsk outfitted many of the participants a pair of test-drive Newton Running shoes.

Runners of all levels are invited to take part in The Runner’s Soul regular Monday evening runs at 6:30 p.m. Fine more information in this article in triblocal.com.

Newton Athlete Jeremy Freed recently began a series of presentations about the value of exercise and good nutrition to hundreds of kids  at Parmalee Elementary in Indian Hills, Colorado, Marshdale Elementary in Evergreen, Colorado, and West Jefferson Middle School in Evergreen, Colorado.

“A parent involved with organizing the a kid’s race called the Evergreen Rodeo Stampede Fun Run asked me to  speak to the local students about the importance of running and exercise, sharing my experiences in sports and the importance of proper nutrition for long-term health,” says Freed.

Freed also got the kids fired up about an upcoming race called the Kid’s Rodeo Stampede Fun Run, sponsored by Newton Running, on May 28, as a chance to get a taste of the thrill and sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing a race.  The competition includes a 1-mile, 2-mile and a 50-yard dash. “Spreading the message of youth health literacy is extremely important and, as an athlete, I feel that I can be a good example and provide a meaningful message,” says Freed.

“The kids really responded well to the 45-minute presentation,” says Freed. “I spoke for a bit and then got them off the floor and running in place, doing plyometrics and stretching. The kids then got to ask questions about the presentation before they returned to class.

Even though the 2011 Ironman Canada (August 28, 2011) is sold out, you can still race!

Become a member of Newton Running’s Athletes for a Cure team and make a difference in the fight against prostate cancer while competing in the race of a lifetime! Learn more at: http://www.newtonrunning.com/imc

Spots will go fast so Sign up today!

Learn more is this informational video featuring Newton Running co-founder, Jerry Lee.

Support this massive “shoe-raising” effort with a $15 donation

Soles for Kenya, a student-organized “shoe-raiser,” is collecting 1000 used shoes for Kenyan orphans and Newton Running is matching their efforts by donating 1000 pairs of Newton Running Performance Trainers.

Students from Kent Denver High School, J. K. Mullen High School, Regis Jesuit Boys and Girls’ Schools, St. Anne’s Episcopal School and Colorado Academy oversaw the collection process.

Aside from supplying much-needed footwear to Kenyan orphans, their goal is to raise awareness for the 2.5 million orphans living with the legacy of the AIDS pandemic: poverty, drought, starvation and tribal warfare. The Denver teenagers were touched by Tumaini’s cause and wanted to expand the circle of care for African orphans.

You can help by making a $15 cash donation to Tumaini Ministries, which they will use to purchase more Newton Running shoes. The shoes will be distributed in Kenya by Eunice Kariuki, founder and executive director of Tumaini, a Kenyan home for orphans, to local orphanages and street kids in Nairobi, Kenya.

Visit the Soles for Kenya Facebook page here.

The following letter was submitted by Run Across Ethiopia team member, Nigel Willerton.

From January 9 to 19, the Run Across Ethiopia Team ran 264 miles in 11 days, averaging 24 miles per day. We ran a marathon (26.2 miles) or longer on seven of the 11 days, reaching a total of almost 53 hours. As a result, I was able to raise almost $30,000, and the Run Across Ethiopia Team raised close to $200,000 for On The Ground to support the education of the children of Fair Trade farmers in Ethiopia. (Read more about the run here).

This money will be used to build and supply much-needed schools, and to give these children a better start with more opportunities. It was very emotional to see the foundations of the schools being built with your pledges.

On Day 9 we ran to the village of Hace Gola in the Ethiopian Highlands, where we were met by over 2,000 singing villagers in a stunning display of gratitude for their new school. This is what Run Across Ethiopia was all about–direct intervention to provide desperately needed schools and help break the cycle of poverty.

I am deeply moved by everyone’s support, from the kids who donated their $5 weekly allowance, my friends and work colleagues who dug deep into their pay checks, to the generous businesses that donated four-figure sums. I am extremely proud to be associated with all of you. On The Ground will be able provide the resources to build three new schools in Ethiopia over the next few months because of that tremendous support.

However, though the run may have ended, the need for support hasn’t. These schools will need equipment and supplies in the future. You can donate at any time to www.onthegroundglobal.org and I promise your money will go directly to the very best of causes. Alternatively, you can mail a check made out to “On the Ground” to: On the Ground, 806 Red Drive, Suite 150 · Traverse City, Michigan 49684.

Finally, please remember that purchasing products from genuinely socially responsible companies can mean fresh water, free health care, schools and electricity to those who would otherwise go without. In this information-rich world, it’s not too difficult to find the good guys

Thank you again,

NIGEL

Nigel Willerton is running 400km across Ethiopia in Newtons in order to raise money to build schools in Ethiopian fair trade communties. You can read more about the running event here, and click on the photo below to watch a video explaining his motivation.

Last weekend at Ironman Canada it would have been impossible not to notice the Newton presence. We had one of our biggest company showings ever—around 30 Newton staff and athletes showed up to race, spread the Newton word, and raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Here are some highlights:

Jerry Lee and Winter Vinecki at the Expo

Beautiful race day in Penticton, BC—we lucked out.

Dennis Meeker was the first finisher from Team Newton with a time of 9:22.

Scott Burrow, Tory Oakland, and Ricky Jeffs cross the finish line showing off their Newton colors.

We want to extend a big congrats to Jerry Lee, who finished his first Ironman.

In total, Newton raised over $70,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation through Athletes for a Cure, and hopes to raise that total over $100,000 by the end of the year.

The Woodway Desmo treadmill at RnRSD turned for eight hours last Friday and Saturday, and the official number of steps are tallied. Pam and Ian got a solid training session in for Badwater and logged the following numbers while raising awareness for Trickle Up:

Ian Adamson: 82,015 steps, 47 miles

Pam Reed: 87,777 steps, 43 miles

Ian had the following to say of the event: “Running on a treadmill for eight hours is not particularly fun, but it’s much easier than the challenges faced by the countless millions of people in poorer countries without a stable (or any) income. Last Saturday I ran 47 miles in Newton Gravity Trainers on a treadmill to raise awareness for Trickle Up. Trickle Up gives grants to develop micro-enterprise for folks who live on less than $1 a day. “Dreadmill” running is challenging since there’s no change of scenery, or the smells, sights and sounds of the countryside. Fortunately plenty of people stopped by at the expo to chat and gawk. As Ben from Woodway pointed out, it’s akin to being a human hamster—only I’m neither cute nor furry.”

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our expo booth to try on shoes, and congrats to all the marathon finishers. Now for the announcement you’ve all been waiting for, the winners of the contest. Because we added Pam last minute, for the online contest we chose to pick the two closest guesses for Ian. The expo winners were determined by the closest guess for Ian, Pam, and the combination of the two.

Here is the list of folks who will be receiving a free pair of shoes:

Sheli Auteh guessed 82,600 steps for Ian at the expo

Judy Kniss guessed 87,600 steps for Pam at the expo

Yvonne Faucher guessed 170,000 for the combined number of steps at the expo

Lewis Fowler guessed 81, 568 steps for Ian online

Jeff Kaldahl guessed 82, 222 for Ian online

Winners: email us at media@newtonrunning.com if you have any questions.

Seven-time Ian adventure racing world champion Ian Adamson and ultra-running legend and two-time Badwater winner Pam Reed share a penchant for pain and suffering. Both are training hard for the Badwater Ultramarathon in a couple of months.

As part of their training and to raise awareness for an important cause, Ian and Pam are spending eight hours on a treadmill at the Rock’n'Roll Marathon in San Diego this weekend. To honor their pain, we’re going to give away some Newton shoes to a couple of lucky winners.

Since we launched Newton Running about three years ago, Newton has proudly supported the Trickle Up Foundation with a $1 donation for the sale of every pair of shoes. Trickle up was created to help poverty-stricken people in developing countries to launch micro-enterprises by providing seed capital grants and business training – it’s a small non-profit that’s making a big difference in the world.

In order to raise awareness about Trickle Up, Ian and Pam will be running on the treadmill for eight hours straight wearing pedometers to train for Badwater. (Ian is running Friday for eight hours, Pam is running Saturday for eight hours).

Here’s how to win FREE SHOES.

Guess at the number of steps they will each take over the course of the day. Two winners (for the closest guess for Ian) will receive a pair of Newtons of their choice. There are four different ways in which you can enter:

1. Stop by our expo booth and write down your guess.

2. Leave a comment on this blog post with each guess.

3. Tweet your guesses and include the hashtag #NewtonRnRSD

4. Leave a comment on the Facebook post announcing the contest.

The contest will run until the end of the day on June 5th, when we will pick the winners, and break ties via a random drawing. You can read the full contest guidelines here.

Sweating it out for eight hours of running in place will be good training for whats up next—both Ian and Pam will be running Badwater in July as part of  the seven-athlete Newton team. Stay tuned for more updates on the team.