'Born to Run': Christopher McDougall hosting free running clinics in NYC

Running drills with Chris McDougall

Author Christopher McDougall helped spark the barefoot running boom with his hugely influential nonfiction book "Born to Run." Chris and his wife Mika stopped by Good Day New York to demonstrate running form drills.

NEW YORK - Bestselling author Christopher McDougall helped spark the barefoot running boom with his hugely influential nonfiction book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (Knopf, 2009). This year, he is back with a sequel — more on that in a minute.

Chris and his wife Mika stopped by Good Day New York on Friday to demonstrate some basic running-form drills for running either barefoot or in minimalist shoes. Rosanna Scotto, Dan Bowens, and Tashanea Whitlow followed along — Ro was a bit skeptical at first but by the end of the drill, she had fun.

'BORN TO RUN' SEQUEL

Chris teamed up with running coach Eric Orton, who was featured prominently in Born to Run, to write the long-awaited sequel Born to Run 2: The Ultimate Training Guide (Knopf), which drops Dec. 6, 2022. U.S. pre-orders qualify for an autographed book plate.

The publisher describes the book: "Whether you're ramping up for a race or recuperating from an injury, Born to Run 2 is a holistic program for runners of every stripe that centers on seven key themes: food, fitness, form, footwear, focus, fun, and family."

Running with a donkey opened Christopher McDougall's eyes about partnerships with animals

(FOX 5 NY Photo)

COMMUNITY RUNNING EVENTS

Chris and Eric are on a tour of the country to join local running groups to offer running-form clinics (free!) using tips from the new book. They're making several tour stops in New York City.

Saturday, Aug. 27, Harlem and the Bronx

10 a.m.: Highbridge Park nature trail cleanup — Join Chris and the Word Up Community Bookshop/Librería Comunitaria to help clean up the awesome trails in Highbridge Park. Meet at the store, 2113 Amsterdam Ave., New York, N.Y.

1 p.m.: Sweaty Bookstore Tour, Part 1 — Join Chris for a fun run from Word Up Bookshop to Sisters Uptown Bookstore, Revolution Books, and then finishing with a cold drink at The Lit. Bar in the Bronx. Meet at Word Up, 2113 Amsterdam Ave., New York, N.Y. (Check Borntorun_world on Instagram details.)

Monday, Aug. 29, Harlem

7 p.m.: Harlem Run — Join Chris and the group Harlem Run for a fun run in the neighborhood. Meet at the amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park, 18 Mt. Morris Park W., New York, N.Y.

Friday, Sept. 2, Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn

11 a.m.: Sweaty Bookstore Tour, Part 2 — Join Chris and Coach Eric on a fun run from Three Lives & Company to Bluestockings Cooperative, Yu and Me Books, Greenlight Bookstore, Community Bookstore, and ending with something tasty at Café con Libros. Meet at Three Lives & Company, 154 W. 10th St., New York, N.Y.

Saturday, Sept. 3, Central Park

10 a.m.: Front Runners New York — Join Chris and the group Front Runners for a fun run in Central Park. Meet at across from the Daniel Webster statue, West Drive and Terrace Drive. A light breakfast social follows the fun run in the basement recreation room of Rutgers Church.

Monday, Sept. 5, Chinatown

6:30 p.m.: Run for Chinatown — Join Chris for the group Run for Chinatown for a fun run around the neighborhood. Meet at the tai chi wheels at basketball courts of Columbus Park, Mulberry Street and Bayard Street, New York, N.Y.

Check out more events on the tour at borntorun.world/events. Learn more about Born to Run 2 at borntorun.world/books.

Read about Chris learning to run with a donkey named Sherman and what that taught him about people and animals.