Trail runners will gather on Rock Canyon Trailhead Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7:15 a.m. to test trail running shoes during the Salomon Demo Run hosted by Runner's Corner, a local running store.
Runners can test out Salomon's SpeedCross 3 shoe and its Fellraiser model. Runner's Corner's general manager Brandon Dase said this is a preview for the public before the SpeedCross 3 appears on the company's shelves March 1.
The store's owner, Kenneth Harper, praised the SpeedCross 3 for its simplicity. Harper is 69 and still running.
The advertised route will start at Rock Canyon Trailhead and climb to the top of Squaw Peak with an elevation change of more than 2,500 feet. The trail has been packed down by the many feet that have fought their ways to the top. Snow currently covers most, if not all, of the trail. Dase said they expect 25 to 30 runners to attend this week's event.
Runners will start running up the gradual slope of Rock Canyon, then turn off and climb the steep ascent toward the peak. The trek to the top will take many runners more than an hour to complete, but what goes up must come down — it will be a fast descent back to the trailhead. It could take runners about half the ascent time.
This event is just one of Runner's Corner's running events. The company plans to host similar events with brands such as Asics, Hoka, Adidas and Altra in the coming months. The events are meant to 'give people an opportunity to get something on their feet that they've never experienced before, and an experience to go with it,' Dase said.