Natural Running Center

Though it’s been several weeks since Freedom’s Run was held here in West Virginia,  I am still receiving emails and from visitors thanking our neighboring towns for the friendly welcome they received as runners.  We would not have been able to pull off this event — marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K, one-mile kids run — without [Read more...]

  Last weekend was my favorite event of the year at our small natural running and walking shoe store in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Two Rivers Treads had its third annual Vivobarefoot kids shoe giveaway. We personally matched a contribution from Vivobarefoot and gave out close to 200 pairs of free shoes to local children.  Yes, [Read more...]

The other day I received the most delightful and endearing email from a proud father and his even prouder son who will be running in the Freedom’s Run Half-Marathon for the second time. I’d like to share it with Natural Running Center readers. (This year’s race is on October 13, and also features a full [Read more...]

I had the privilege to speak for the second straight year at the Boston Marathon Sports Medicine Conference hosted by the American Medical Athletic Association (AMAA). Last year, my presentation was on barefoot running (the hot topic of 2011). This year, I spoke on healthy aerobic development for life and the work of  legendary New [Read more...]

The Natural Running Center is privileged to republish this article, “What Can We Learn from Watching Children Run?”,  by Dr. Irene Davis, which originally appeared in the Fall 2011 Journal of the American Medical Athletic Association. Dr. Davis is one of the world’s leading experts on running mechanics, running injury, and research. Dr. Davis and [Read more...]

Two weekends ago, our small town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia was bustling with activity and runners. It was the third annual Freedom’s Run, of which I am the race director. From the start we intended to make this a small town event with scenery, history, fun, local flavor, and low fees compared to the big [Read more...]

As a family physician, I firmly believe that children should play in their bare feet or in activity shoes that complement natural foot development and proper biomechanics of movement. Runners, walkers, coaches, and the medical community are all awakening to the benefits of allowing proper natural foot motion to occur in all of our daily [Read more...]

Two Rivers Treads and Dr. Mark Cucuzzella present a short, high-energy video of barefoot running in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

by Dr. Phil Maffetone. Twenty years ago, a review of shoes and gait in the journal Pediatrics outlined some key factors that affect children’s feet. Pediatric orthopedist Lynn Staheli, M.D., from the Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, listed these important points: 1.) Optimum foot development occurs in the barefoot environment. 2.) Stiff and [Read more...]