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Nearly Naked Mile streaks through campus

By Ellie Callinan, For The Miami Student

One of Miami's student organizations has stripped away the norms of an otherwise traditional sport by asking students to run a mile wearing as little clothing as possible.

Miami's Running Club, (they call themselves the Striders) hosted their fourth annual Nearly Naked Mile Friday, April 24, on Central Quad.

Approximately 40 participants stripped down to the bare necessities to run the one-mile race. The runners were then encouraged to part with their tossed attire.

Members of the club collected the runners' discarded clothing, coming away from the event with two trash bags full of shirts and shorts. According to the event's Facebook page, the donations will be distributed to a local thrift store run by the Oxford Family Resource Center.

According to its website, the Oxford Family Resource Center assists low-income families through a variety of services. It provides clothing and household items to those in need.

Rory Uhler, Family Resource Center's thrift store manager, expressed his gratitude for the Running Club's contributions.

"The thrift store would not exist if it weren't for donations from Miami students and the community," Uhler said.

Although there was a registration fee, the fundraising focus rests within the clothing donations.

Senior and president of Striders, Peter Stubbings, explained how the funds are allocated. He said the registration fees go toward the Striders' liability insurance for the race.

This insurance is necessary, of course, because the bare butt cheeks of thong-wearing Miami males can be highly distracting, putting participants at high risk of tripping or falling.

Spirits were high among race participants, despite the minimal clothing.

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There was a neon-colored trend with the female participants' attire. The majority of the girls were decked out in brightly colored spandex and sports bras, while the male runners went shirtless and sported various styles of short-shorts.

As ever, American-themed apparel was popular among several men who chose to express their patriotism. They all seemed eager to sport the red, white and blue.

The laidback atmosphere and near-nudity at this event set the Nearly Naked Mile apart from other running races on campus, but the length of the race was also unusual. Stubbings said the short distance of this event helps attract participants.

"People often get scared away when you say there is a 5k on campus," Stubbings said. "This event is definitely more fun."

While the lack of clothing allowed runners to avoid wind resistance, most runners in the Nearly Naked Mile weren't shooting for a certain finishing time.

However, prizes were awarded for first and second place finishers in the male and female category. The runner sporting the most ridiculous outfit was rewarded as well.

This year, the best dressed was junior Joey Landers, who embraced his inner animal and bravely donned a cheetah print thong in a quad made up of mostly all-female dorms.

Most race participants are members of the Running Club, but the event also attracted students who were interested in running for a good cause.

"I heard about it because I have a few friends in the Running Club and we ran it last year, so we thought we would come out and run it again because it was so fun," said senior Nicole Santabarbara.

She, along with the other competitors, took off below the Sundial at the sound of a horn.

Right before the race started, some participants were setting their watches, while others were laughing about the possible reactions they'd get from spectators.

The Nearly Naked Mile brings about runners of all ability and helps out a good cause, even if they do get a few odd stares from other students and campus visitors.

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