Chicken & Cheesecake: Kona Running Company’s spring races in southeast Michigan

Kona Running Company, known for its fun and festive races in southern Michigan, is behind a new race that involves…chicken! Partnering with Buffalo Wild Wings, Kona Running Company is holding the inaugural Wild Run 5K and 8K on Sunday, April 2 in West Bloomfield. Runners will be able to enjoy boneless wings at the finish — and they’ll also have the chance to vote for their favorite wing flavor when registering for the event (top choices will be made available post-race).

Alan Whitehead, marathoner and owner of Kona Running Company, joins Heather on the Michigan Runner Girl show — {click on the player at the top of this post to listen to their conversation} — to talk about the Wild Run this spring. He also shares details of the fall version of this event; a second Wild Run 5K and 8K is slated for Sunday, Sept. 24 in Canton.

Another spring race coming up: the second annual Cheesecake Run on April 23 in Farmington Hills. This also includes an 8K and 5K, and features cheesecake samples from The Novi Cheesecake Factory at the finish line. Race organizers are expecting some 2,500 runners to participate in this year’s Cheesecake Run — nearly 2,000 ran it last year. Alan shares how the Cheesecake Run is partnering with Michigan State University this year, donating $3 per registered MSU member or alumnus race entry. These donation funds will go to the West Metro Detroit Spartans (MSU alumni club), which will provide two scholarships to students transferring to MSU from local community colleges.

Alan gives listeners a heads up about another new Kona Running Company event, Stroh’s Legend Run 5K run/walk on May 21 in Detroit as well as talks about this year’s Kona Triple Crown races, which give runners the opportunity to earn an extra-special medal for completing three select Kona Running Company races.

This episode of the MRG podcast also features updates on this spring’s Michigan Runner Girl Weekend Retreat at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa— you’ll hear Pam and I talk with Priscilla Hansma, owner of SheActive Boutique in Rockford. Priscilla is joining us at the retreat, held May 4-7, to showcase some of her fabulous running/yoga/lifestyle clothing.