More than 150 competitors run in first Red Bull Quicksand event at Oceanfront
The runners laughed, hydrated and stretched as the wind whipped the sand on the man-made dunes standing between them and the rippling Atlantic Ocean.
More than 150 competitors signed up for the first Red Bull Quicksand event at the Oceanfront, where the runners travailed those dunes, trenches and other sand obstacles over a 1-mile course. The race has been previously held in countries such as Egypt, Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom.
For local runners like Dwight Starks, 62, the course presented a new kind of challenge. Starks is a member of Tidewater Striders, which regularly races all over Hampton Roads. His love for running began at the age of 10.
“Me and my sister had a challenge to run around the block and I’ve been running since,” Starks said.
The Virginia Beach resident said he runs about 6 to 10 miles a day and though he claims not to be a speed demon, he has fun.
“Once you learn to have fun, everything will come natural,” he said.
And the benefits of running are not just physical, the Navy veteran said.
“It frees your mind, you can meditate and you feel much better afterward,” Starks said.
Fellow Navy veteran Jared Bobzien of Moyock, North Carolina, was at Quicksand for more than just the race. He also wanted to help spread word about the Virginia Beach chapter of veterans group Irreverent Warriors, which works to prevent suicides and improve mental health with comradery and humor. The nonprofit can be found in more than 150 cities with more than 55,000 members, according to a brochure.
Mike Packer, of Virginia Beach, was drawn to Quicksand by the promise of a challenge.
Running on sand is estimated to take 1.6 times as much work as running on asphalt and uses different muscle groups, according to various studies dating back to the 1990s.
Packer has been running off and on since high school. The Norfolk native could not emphasize enough the benefits of running and exercise.
“It’s the closest thing to the fountain of youth out there,” Packer said.
Despite several bouts of rain, Quicksand continued and finished before 4 p.m. Ben Werve was the men’s winner and Macaulay Porter of Richmond was the women’s winner.
Ian Munro, 757-447-4097, ian.munro@virginamedia.com
