AORTA News: October 19th, 2026

2026 Tutu Trot Results & Videos!

- 5K & 1-Mile Results
- 5K Video
- 1-Mile Video

Race Volunteers Needed!
As a runner, we know your time is valuable. But if you have a couple hours to spare, we could use your help for one of the upcoming AORTA supported or directed races! Assisting at a local race is a fun and rewarding experience. You are surrounded by health conscious individuals that, like you, are motivated fitness enthusiasts and appreciate the effort of volunteers.

Upcoming Local Races

Beat Bama Food Drive 5K
- When: Sunday, November 01, 2026
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: Cater Lawn, Auburn University
- Fee: $38 (5K), $18 (1-Mile)
- Description: The Beat Bama Run Fest is a charity color run benefiting the Food Bank of East Alabama. It offers a 5K race and a one-mile fun run for participants of varying fitness levels, encouraging community involvement by collecting non-perishable food donations. Pre-registration is encouraged to save on fees, and the event includes water stops, refreshments, and children's entertainment, making it a well-rounded experience focused on fitness, community engagement, and philanthropy for participants of all ages.

Unity Wellness Center AIDS Day Run/Walk
- When: Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile), 8:30 PM (5K)
- Where: Town Creek Park, Auburn, AL
- Fee: $5 (1-Mile), $5 (5K) (t-shirt $20)
- Description: Join us for the 9th Annual Unity Wellness Center World AIDS Day Run/Walk, featuring a $5 fee for both the 5K and 1-mile events (with an option to add a shirt for $20). Age group awards will be given, and there will be a raffle and refreshments for the whole family. The 1-mile walk starts at 8:00 am (untimed), and the 5K timed race begins at 8:30 am. This event commemorates World AIDS Day, a global day of unity against HIV, and supports Unity Wellness Center's vital services, including HIV testing, counseling, medical care, case management, and prevention education. 

Active Auburn Jingle Jog & Santa Stroll 
- When: Saturday, December 05, 2026
- Time: 6:30 AM (1-Mile), 7:00 AM (5K)
- Where: Toomer’s Corner, Downtown Auburn
- Fee: $20 (Fun Run), $30 (5K) 
           *Prices increase after November 26.
- Description: The Jingle Jog 5k and Santa Stroll Fun Run are here again – so pull out those Santa hats and ugly sweaters! Join Active Auburn on Saturday, December 5th at 6:30 a.m. as we ring in the holiday season in style! The Santa Stroll Fun Run (1 mile) will begin at 6:30 a.m. at Toomer’s Corner and the Jingle Jog 5k will begin at 7:00 a.m. at Toomer’s Corner.

Auburn Toys for Tots 5K/10K and Fun Run
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2025
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile), 8:30 AM (5K/10K)
- Where: Town Creek Park
- Fee: $20 (1-Mile), $30 (5K), $40 (10K)
  ** Prices increase after October 15th 
- Description: Mark your calendars and start the holiday season in a festive mood with a 10K, 5K, or 1-Mile!  All participants are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy. to be distributed to children in need. This year, Toys for Tots donations are especially important. the weak economy has caused many to lose jobs, be furloughed, or be forced out of work for long periods of time. Families in these difficult situations desperately needed a little extra holiday cheer this holiday season. The Toys for Tots race will help bring people together during the holidays. All participants who register online by November 30th will receive a souvenir festive t-shirt!

Weekly Whimsy

Your Big Toe: Running’s Unsung Hero
Matteo Sargenti, The Running Week

Your big toe drives up to 85% of foot stability and powers every push-off. Here is why strengthening it can make you a faster, more injury-resistant runner.

Most runners obsess over shoes, cadence, and weekly mileage. Almost nobody trains the one body part that finishes every single stride: the big toe. It looks small and unimportant, but it carries a massive workload every time the foot leaves the ground. Ignoring it can quietly cap your speed and raise your injury risk for years.

The Big Toe Is Your Final Push-Off Point
Running is a controlled series of one-legged hops. At the end of each hop, the last point of contact with the ground is almost always the big toe. That tiny joint is responsible for launching the entire body forward, which is why coaches call it the final lever of the stride.

When the toe extends upward during push-off, it tightens the plantar fascia and turns a soft, mobile foot into a rigid, powerful spring.

How Much Work It Actually Does
Physical therapists estimate that roughly 80 to 85 percent of foot stability during running comes from the big toe. That is not a typo, and it puts the hallux ahead of any other single structure in the foot. Forces moving through the foot at push-off can reach three times your body weight.

If the big toe cannot handle that load, the stress has to escape somewhere else, usually into tissues that were not built for it.

What Happens When Your Big Toe Is Weak
A weak or stiff big toe rarely hurts on its own. It just quietly forces the rest of your body to compensate, and that is where problems start.

The Injury Chain Reaction
When toe extension is limited, your foot cannot become a stiff lever at push-off. The plantar fascia gets overloaded, which is one of the most common triggers of plantar fasciitis. The Achilles tendon then takes on extra stress, leading to tightness and tendinopathy over time. Bunions, arch pain, and even knee and hip issues can all trace back to a hallux that simply will not do its job.

How to Tell If Yours Is Underperforming
Try a simple test on the floor. Sit down, keep your heel on the ground, and try to pull your big toe up without lifting the other toes. Most runners cannot do it cleanly on the first try. A healthy big toe should extend at least 50 to 70 degrees upward, with control and no pain.

How To Build a Stronger, More Mobile Big Toe
Big toe training is not glamorous, and it does not require a gym. Five to ten minutes a few times a week is enough to notice a real difference in stride power.

Toe Yoga
Sit or stand with bare feet flat on the ground. Lift only the big toe, keeping the other four pressed down, then reverse it by pressing the big toe down and lifting the small toes. Aim for two sets of 10 reps per foot.

Towel Scrunches
Place a small towel on a smooth floor. Use your toes to scrunch it toward you, focusing on driving the big toe down with each pull. This builds the flexor hallucis brevis, the main stabilizer of the hallux.

Single-Leg Balance
Stand barefoot on one foot for 30 to 60 seconds. Notice how your big toe constantly grips and releases to keep you upright. That tiny work is the same stabilizing pattern you need at every step of every run.

Big Toe Extension Stretch
Kneel with the tops of your feet flat and your toes tucked under. Sit back gently onto your heels and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. If this feels brutal, that is exactly the problem you want to fix.

How Your Shoes Are Quietly Sabotaging Your Toes
Modern running shoes solve a lot of problems, but they also hide your toes from doing their job. Narrow toe boxes squeeze the hallux toward the second toe, which over years can pull it out of alignment. Stiff, highly cushioned soles also reduce how much the toes have to extend during push-off.

Smart Adjustments You Can Make
Look for shoes with a wider toe box so your toes can spread naturally. Spend some time barefoot at home each day, even if it is just walking around the kitchen.

For more on this, see this guide to barefoot running benefits and how short barefoot sessions can wake up sleeping foot muscles.

Pairing Big Toe Work With the Rest of Your Training
Big toe drills are powerful, but they work best inside a broader plan. Pair them with calf, hip, and core strength so the force your toe creates actually transfers up the chain.

Add Foot-Focused Recovery
After hard sessions, run through a routine of foot stretches every runner needs to keep the toe flexors, plantar fascia, and arch tissues loose. Tight tissues limit toe extension, which is exactly what you do not want.

Build Strength Above the Ankle
Strong glutes and hamstrings let your big toe do its job without overloading the foot, and adding the 7 essential strength exercises every runner needs to your week is a smart place to start.

Think of the toe as the final amplifier for power produced higher up the leg.

How Soon You Will Feel the Difference
Most runners feel a change in two to four weeks of consistent toe work. Push-off feels springier, balance feels steadier, and nagging arch or Achilles issues often calm down. It is not a magic fix, but it is one of the highest-leverage habits a runner can build.

For a deeper biomechanical breakdown of the toe’s role in running, this guide from UESCA on the role of the big toe is a useful next read.

Final Thoughts
Your big toe is not a forgotten body part. It is the last lever of every stride and one of the biggest contributors to whether you run efficiently or break down. Give it five focused minutes, a few times a week, and your whole stride starts to feel different.

Small joint, big payoff.

Link to article: https://tinyurl.com/4hkdprf6

Quote of the Week

         Doesn’t matter

         if you run slow.

         You always beat

         those who stayed home.

                           Anonymous

Video of the Week

How Running For a Year Changed My Life & Body (24:30)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process, or service. 

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!
RunGo provides turn-by-turn navigation allowing you to just enjoy your runs without having to think about looking for street names and when you may have to turn next. Other great features include, audio cues with your running stats, split updates, the ability to share your runs via social media, and create new routes. Another great feature of the app is the ability to work offline. You can create and download your routes ahead of time, before your run so you don’t have to use data during your run.

Race Volunteers Needed!
As a runner, we know your time is valuable. But if you have a couple hours to spare, we could use your help for one of the upcoming AORTA supported or directed races! Assisting at a local race is a fun and rewarding experience. You are surrounded by health conscious individuals that, like you, are motivated fitness enthusiasts and appreciate the effort of volunteers.

Water Stop Volunteers Needed
Water stop signs and coolers are available at the following location: 1536 Professional Parkway, Auburn, AL. (Thank you Adahli Massey!). Coolers and signs can be picked up Monday-Thursday from 8AM-4PM and on Fridays from 8AM-12 noon. Items are in the room next to the back door. If you are unable to pick up supplies on these dates/times, e-mail clemster@aol.com to make alternative arrangements (we deliver!).

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