Sterling Holmes ran foot loose in the sixth annual Little Rock Marathon, completing the 5K barefoot today.
2008 Marathon
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"You actually feel the road," said Holmes, 46, of Little Rock. He was one of more than 7,500 participants in the marathon this weekend.
Holmes, who wore No. 5289 in the race, started running barefoot about a year and a half ago when he developed hamstring injuries. A friend suggested he start running without shoes. When he did, the pain went away.
"Shoes is like wearing a cast, so you rebuild those muscles," Holmes said. "If you land properly, there's no abrasion." He said it's a matter of taking the twist out of his landing. Often, if his feet feel tender, he runs on the yellow paint on the road to get a smoother surface.
Feeling the different temperatures and textures of the asphalt enhances the running experience. If it's too cold, Holmes overdresses with a hat and gloves. He runs every morning, typically when it's no lower than 32 degrees in dry weather, when it's wet, no lower than 40 degrees.
Once, though, in a Danville, Ark., race, he ran barefoot when it was 20 degrees.
The longest road race Holmes has completed barefoot was 7 miles, and he's participated in 13-mile triathalons. His best time was a 6-minute pace in Seattle.
The barefoot runner's worst fear is hitting a piece of glass, which Holmes has encountered only once. The sliver worked its way out in a few days. Rocks haven't been a problem for him either.
"When you hit a big rock, you start to see them more," he said. "You learn real quick."
When he started running, rude remarks, like "hillbilly" were the hardest thing to deal with, but such comments don't bother him anymore. "You just have to ignore them."
A computer tech for Little Rock, Holmes is helping organize online registration for the race.
What's the best thing about barefoot running?
"You save a lot of money on shoes," he said.