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Contra Costa Marketplace - Dec 2016

STRENGTHENING LEGS AND COMMUNITY Brazen Racing provides races for runners of all rankings. Running is healthy, we all know that. But running By Matt Larson together, with friends and strangers? That takes it to another level. Since 2009, Brazen Racing has provided us with countless opportunities to get to know ourselves, and our neighbors. “Building community is kind of the bigger thing over the actual sport itself of running,” said Brazen Racing Founder and Race Director Sam Fiandaca. He explains how people can often end up isolating themselves a bit by sticking to the same social circles, same grocery stores, same everything for too long. When this happens, he says, “I think your world becomes a little smaller.” Attending an event with Brazen Racing allows you to get out, get active, and meet people you wouldn’t normally meet anywhere else. “When you’re out there running with other people, 60 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM DECEMBER 2016 you’re all in it together,” Fiandaca explains. “You’re just out there with your fellow human beings running, appreciating the outside, really feeling alive and appreciating the other people; it’s hard to exert that kind of physical effort and remain anything but happy at the end by the time you’re done with it all.” The world could sure learn a lot from Brazen Racing, we think. For us in the Bay Area, there’s plenty of Brazen Racing to go around. Last year they solely produced 28 running events and supported another 40-50. They tend to keep the races close to home here in West County, but extend to reaches as far as Vacaville, San Jose and Livermore. Most of their events are 5k, 10k and half-marathon distances, as well as a select amount of marathon or 50k races, which gives runners of all levels some great opportunities. Most Brazen Racing events average about 1,100 runners; sometimes half that, sometimes twice that. If by now


Contra Costa Marketplace - Dec 2016
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