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Sun’s out. Buns out.

6/25/2014

The Morning Moose Underwear Run will take place on June 29.

The Morning Moose Underwear Run will take place on June 29.

Despite what some believe, the rush after a nice workout is worth all the bitching and moaning it took to get you started. And after a spot of exercise, is there anything better than cracking open a cold one and dropping trou (short for trousers)? Simply put: No.

But what if there was an activity that allowed you to combine all of these activities for one big, endorphin-fused kick in the pants? Turns out there actually is, and you don’t have to worry about any government lists.

That’s Lazer 103.3’s The Morning Moose Underwear Run.

“[There’s all these runs.] There’s this kind of a run or that kind of a run so we tried to think of something that people hadn’t done yet, and eventually people running in their underwear was thrown out, so that’s where the idea came from,” said Rob Lembke, LAZER promotions director.

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No transitions, no timing chips, no expensive race gear, just hundreds of strangers running around in their bloomers to benefit the Children’s Cancer Connection. The one-and-a-half mile race will start at El Bait Shop (Market St.) and make its way over to the Meredith Bike Trail around Principal Park and back to El Bait.

Not sure if you’ve got the body for this sort of race? Think again.

El Bait Shop offers a little liquid encouragement starting at 9 a.m., with a sort of tailgating for participants and spectators. What may have started as a drink with friends will hopefully lead to last-minute stripping for the run.

“Really it’s the perceived notion of what ‘underwear’ is,” Lembke said. “Some people might wear very little but, at the same time, there are other people who would do a little bit more. They’d dress in a themed outfit or even the full-on footy long-john underwear.”

At the end of the day, it is just a fun run, said Lembke, who notes there is quite a bit of gray area when judging what’s allowed. Don’t push it. As long as it’s in good taste but doesn’t reveal too much, Lembke said.

“We did have two guys who wore thongs last year just for the humor with it, though we don’t encourage people to wear thongs. It’s just right in that gray area where one city official may go, ‘It’s fine,’ where another might say, ‘Too far.’”

The run may be brief, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be slip-ups.

“When [Morning] Moose kicked off the race last year, he took the runners off route — turning left instead of right — which nearly led everyone through the Downtown Farmers Market,” said Lembke, adding that his extent of running that day was to catch up and correct him.

If nothing else the Underwear Run is a new twist on a classic. Find out if your friends are the solid boxer type or if they roll deep in festive briefs. This year there will be creative contests for best individual and team/group look.

“The biggest feedback we got last year was that it was something unique, something different,” Lembke said. “How many times can you say that, legally, I can run around downtown in my underwear? Nine times out of 10 you’d probably be booked or given a citation. It gives you that ability to do something you can’t normally do.” CV     

David Rowley is an Iowa native with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Iowa and a master’s in film journalism from the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

Sunday, June 29 at 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
El Bait Shop
$15 (Cash only for day of registration)
8:30–9:45 a.m. — On-site sign-in
10 a.m. — Race start
11 a.m. — Post-race T-shirt pickup, goodie bag and join the festivities at El Bait Shop
Register before June 27 to receive a race T-shirt that will be sent to you by mail.
http://lazer1033.com/morning-moose-underwear-run

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