GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It’s a typical morning for Mackenzie Foss as she laces up, shares some laughs and logs some miles before logging in for her day job as cyber security engineer.
“I stumbled into running after I ended my college cheerleading career,” Foss said.
It’s a hobby turned passion only two years in the making.
“I started just kind of putting together these track days and eventually people were labeling it like “Mac’s trackday,” Foss said.
Mac’s track days lead to Society Track Club, a running group with hundreds of followers, welcoming runners of all caliber.
As Mackenzie has grown her running community, she’s also grown her running repertoire, recently finishing her third marathon in just two years.
“My last one was Chicago,” Foss said.
“I ran 3:19.”
And now she’s embarking on a new goal: race director.
“ I'm so excited for this, it's going to be the Grand Rapids Road Mile,” Foss said.
The first race of its kind in Grand Rapids, inspired by popular mile races in big cities like New York.
It starts at the corner of Wealthy and Front and it goes right along Wealthy,” Foss said.
“Then you take a slight downhill turn on the Butterworth and you end by the zoo.”.
Weaving its way through GR’s west side, the race has already garnered lots of attention from runners all over the midwest, including some elite racers.
“I've had other race directors who are hosting these 5k’s, these marathons, come to me to help,” Foss said..
Grand Rapids has an established running pedigree with thebiggest 25k road race in the country. Mackenzie hopes this race will continue to attract racers from all over and build on the community she joined just two years ago. That includes giving race proceeds to youth running programs.
“The reason I love running and the reason I got into running was for the community, so it feels right that like this is the direction it took,” Foss said.
The date of the race is April 21st so plenty of time to sign up. Mackenzie says they are still looking for sponsors to be part of the race day. The day will include a kids mile, an elite woman’s and men’s mile, and an open mile.
