It’s often said that we study history in order to prevent ourselves from repeating it, but no one seems to have shared that concept with Zach McCardel.
McCardel is an ultra marathon runner, who like the historic figure Johnny Appleseed, prefers to do his running barefoot. From 6 p.m. on August 9 to roughly 9 a.m. on August 10, McCardel and 15 other experienced runners embarked on a close facsimile of the original Johnny Appleseed run from Mansfield to Mt. Vernon and back, more than 54 miles in total, effectively double a typical marathon. McCardel’s companions all elected to sport athletic footwear.
The original run occurred August 9, 1813. After the murder of shop owner Levi Jones, Johnny Appleseed ran barefoot through the night to Mt. Vernon where he collected reinforcements to bring back to the then small settlement that is now Mansfield. The town residents secured themselves in the two original block houses, one of which still stands in Mansfield’s South Park. McCardel’s run, exactly 200 years to the day after Appleseed’s, ended at the block house.
This exhibition run was a community effort pulling together runners from all over northeast and central Ohio, the Richland County Genealogical Society, the Blockhouse Committee, and the Bicentennial Committee. Even so, all involved point to McCardel as the driving force behind this unique collaboration.
When asked about the decision to run barefoot he said, “When I was younger I always wanted to run barefoot and no one would let me do it. When I picked up running again as an adult I realized no one could stop me. I just like being barefoot, it’s that simple.”
In fact, he had no idea he was stepping into one of the hottest trends in running. In May of 2009 a book titled Born to Run by Christopher McDougall became a runaway hit and shortly thereafter hipster athletes took up barefoot running in droves. A multi-million dollar market in the shoe industry ironically emerged—barefoot shoes.
McCardel was unaware of any of this until his first barefoot marathon. “When I was there everyone kept talking about this book, I decided I’d better go home and read it.”
If you’ve been inspired by McCardel’s unconventional technique he encourages you to go ahead and give it a try, but he also advises that that beginners take it slow. He made the mistake of pursuing it too aggressively at first. It’s clear that McCardel and his feet have adapted well. When comparing his feet before and after the race his feet fared far better than one might expect.
This run in particular posed some unique challenges for McCardel and his shoe-clad compatriots. Early on there was a section of chip and seal on the road that was quite troublesome for McCardel. The route proved to have more steep hills than anticipated, especially in the early leg of the journey. In the wee hours of the morning, around four or so a runner got separated from the group. The remaining runners went off course and spent about two hours tracking him down. Eventually the lost runner passed a home with lights on and approached the stranger for help. Fortunately he drove the runner until he could return him to the group. At another point, a pair of runners was questioned by law enforcement personnel.
Many volunteers and sponsors pulled together to make the run a success. The group especially appreciated the efforts of Mark Lemke who drove and set up the mobile aid station all night and transported runners who needed a break or were unable to complete the race. Mansfield Restaurant, the Blockhouse Committee, Kroger, Richland County Genealogical Society, Lind Media, J & J Farm Market and private donors all made contributions to the event’s success including a hot breakfast for the runners when they arrived at the Blockhouse. All of South Park was bustling with activity including reenactors and community members excited to welcome the runners back to Mansfield.
As the runners munched on eggs and rested their weary bodies a few posited the idea that they hope maybe their grandchildren will make the run again in one hundred years.
When I was younger I always wanted to run barefoot and no one would let me do it. When I picked up running again as an adult I realized no one could stop me. I just like being barefoot, it’s that simple.
