The members of the Barefoot Runners Society might have lost their taste for footwear, but they've retained their sense of irony.
They're sponsoring a 5K run with proceeds going to Soles4Souls, a charity that donates shoes to the needy.
The Naked Foot 5K will start at 9 a.m. Aug. 20 and circle Lake Nokomis. It will be preceded by a kids' run at 8:30 a.m. and a 1-mile run at 8:40 a.m.
It's part of a series of barefoot races in seven cities this summer. The first such series of its kind, it's a testament to the explosion in the number of people who run barefoot, a technique that many of its devotees believe will reduce injuries. The Twin Cities barefoot running club has about 150 members.
You don't have to run the 5K barefoot. But if you're thinking about running sans shoes and want to learn more about it, there will be clinics on Aug. 18 at Tradehome Shoes in Rochester and Aug. 19 at the Gear Running Store in Edina.
You can register at www.thenakedfoot5k .com/events/minneapolis-mn. Forms also are available at Gear. The kids' race is free, the 1-mile is $20 and the 5K is $35, with the cost going up $5 for race-day registration. The website also will have updates on related events.
