AORTA News: October 12th, 2026
Hurricane Isaias – October 10, 2026
Mother Nature canceled our Saturday AORTA run! No runners, no group photo—just wind and rain. See you next Saturday!
National Play Outside Day – October 3, 2026
A great morning for AORTA runners, whether enjoying our regular Saturday run or participating in the Mercy Medical races across town. Those at Mercy Medical even got some extra hydration courtesy of Mother Nature
Race Volunteers Needed!
As a runner, we know your time is valuable. But if you have a couple hours to spare, we could use your help for one of the upcoming AORTA supported or directed races! Assisting at a local race is a fun and rewarding experience. You are surrounded by health conscious individuals that, like you, are motivated fitness enthusiasts and appreciate the effort of volunteers.
Upcoming Local Race This Week!
Tutu Trot 5K
- When: Saturday, October 17, 2026
- Time: 8:00 AM (Fun Run), 8:30 AM (5K)
- Where: Town Creek Park
- Fee: $30 (5K), $25 (Fun Run)
- Description: Join us for this fun, family-friendly event that benefits the Down South Cancer Foundation and celebrates breast cancer survivors while raising awareness and support for those affected by cancer in our community. Participants are encouraged to embrace the theme and run or walk in a tutu — a tutu is included with registration! Come run, walk, wear your tutu, and help support a great cause!
Upcoming Local Races
Beat Bama Food Drive 5K
- When: Sunday, November 01, 2026
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: Cater Lawn, Auburn University
- Fee: $38 (5K), $18 (1-Mile)
- Description: The Beat Bama Run Fest is a charity color run benefiting the Food Bank of East Alabama. It offers a 5K race and a one-mile fun run for participants of varying fitness levels, encouraging community involvement by collecting non-perishable food donations. Pre-registration is encouraged to save on fees, and the event includes water stops, refreshments, and children's entertainment, making it a well-rounded experience focused on fitness, community engagement, and philanthropy for participants of all ages.
Unity Wellness Center AIDS Day Run/Walk
- When: Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile), 8:30 PM (5K)
- Where: Town Creek Park, Auburn, AL
- Fee: $5 (1-Mile), $5 (5K) (t-shirt $20)
- Description: Join us for the 9th Annual Unity Wellness Center World AIDS Day Run/Walk, featuring a $5 fee for both the 5K and 1-mile events (with an option to add a shirt for $20). Age group awards will be given, and there will be a raffle and refreshments for the whole family. The 1-mile walk starts at 8:00 am (untimed), and the 5K timed race begins at 8:30 am. This event commemorates World AIDS Day, a global day of unity against HIV, and supports Unity Wellness Center's vital services, including HIV testing, counseling, medical care, case management, and prevention education.
Active Auburn Jingle Jog & Santa Stroll
- When: Saturday, December 05, 2026
- Time: 6:30 AM (1-Mile), 7:00 AM (5K)
- Where: Toomer’s Corner, Downtown Auburn
- Fee: $20 (Fun Run), $30 (5K)
*Prices increase after November 26.
- Description: The Jingle Jog 5k and Santa Stroll Fun Run are here again – so pull out those Santa hats and ugly sweaters! Join Active Auburn on Saturday, December 5th at 6:30 a.m. as we ring in the holiday season in style! The Santa Stroll Fun Run (1 mile) will begin at 6:30 a.m. at Toomer’s Corner and the Jingle Jog 5k will begin at 7:00 a.m. at Toomer’s Corner.
Auburn Toys for Tots 5K/10K and Fun Run
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2025
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile), 8:30 AM (5K/10K)
- Where: Town Creek Park
- Fee: $20 (1-Mile), $30 (5K), $40 (10K)
** Prices increase after October 15th
- Description: Mark your calendars and start the holiday season in a festive mood with a 10K, 5K, or 1-Mile! All participants are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy. to be distributed to children in need. This year, Toys for Tots donations are especially important. the weak economy has caused many to lose jobs, be furloughed, or be forced out of work for long periods of time. Families in these difficult situations desperately needed a little extra holiday cheer this holiday season. The Toys for Tots race will help bring people together during the holidays. All participants who register online by November 30th will receive a souvenir festive t-shirt!
Weekly Whimsy
Morning Runners Reduce Heart Disease Risk 31%
Matteo Sargenti, The Running Week
A 2026 American College of Cardiology study of over 14,000 people found morning exercisers had 31% lower coronary artery disease risk. The 7 AM to 8 AM window was the sweet spot.
A 2026 American College of Cardiology study of over 14,000 people found that morning exercisers had significantly lower rates of five major diseases than people who exercised later in the day. The headline number: 31% lower odds of coronary artery disease. The catch: this was true even when total exercise volume was matched. Same amount of running, different time of day, different outcomes. The sweet spot was tight. The lowest risk came from exercise recorded between 7 AM and 8 AM.
The Full Numbers Are More Striking Than the Headline
The study tracked five separate cardiometabolic outcomes. Compared to people who exercised during daytime hours, morning exercisers had:
- 31% lower odds of coronary artery disease
- 18% lower odds of hypertension
- 21% lower odds of hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)
- 30% lower odds of type 2 diabetes
- 35% lower odds of obesity
These are enormous effect sizes for a behavioral variable that most people would consider trivial.
Why the Time of Day Might Actually Matter
Lead researcher Dr. Rao told Healio the mechanism is probably two-part.
The Behavioral Half
Morning exercisers tend to build knock-on habits. Cleaner breakfasts. Fewer late-night snacks. A completed run before 8 AM removes it from the still to do today list. That reduces decision fatigue and reduces the chance of the workout getting bumped by a work meeting. Consistency wins over time, and morning runners tend to be more consistent.
The Biological Half
The circadian argument is more interesting. Insulin sensitivity, blood pressure regulation, and how the body burns fat versus carbohydrate all follow a daily rhythm. Morning exercise appears to align with the peak of that rhythm for cardiometabolic benefit. Later in the day, the same workload does not produce the same downstream signals in the body.
What This Actually Means for Runners
Not every runner can move a training block to 7 AM. Shift workers, parents of young children, and night owls all have real reasons to run at other times. The study is clear on this: any exercise beats none. But if the goal is long-term cardiovascular health and not just fitness for a specific race, the timing lever is worth pulling.
How to Actually Make the Switch
The best predictor of a morning run is a laid-out kit the night before. Some runners build the habit around a specific weekly cadence rather than a daily one. Three morning runs a week is enough to hit the study's timing benefit without requiring a total lifestyle overhaul.
The Bigger Point Nobody Is Making
Running media tends to obsess over pace, mileage, and race-day performance. Cardiometabolic outcomes get treated as a bonus. This study inverts that. It suggests the real return on running is not the marathon PB. It is the 20 to 30 years of life you buy without heart disease or type 2 diabetes. There is a reason older women who run consistently outlive their non-running peers by significant margins. The 7 AM run is now backed by hard cardiology data. Set the alarm.
What the Study Did Not Say
A few caveats worth being honest about. The study was observational, not a randomized controlled trial. It shows correlation, not proven causation. The population was drawn from Fitbit users, which skews toward already-motivated exercisers. And the definition of morning exercise was broad. It included anything before roughly 11 AM. The 7 to 8 AM sweet spot is where the strongest signal appeared, but late-morning exercise still outperformed afternoon and evening exercise in the data.
Where the Science Is Firmer
Randomized trials on the same question exist, and they broadly agree. A 12-week controlled study on sedentary adult men found morning aerobic exercise produced greater improvements in sleep quality and some cardiovascular markers than evening exercise, even when the training volume was identical. Multiple studies on type 2 diabetes patients have shown morning training improves HbA1c (long-term blood sugar) more than afternoon training. The direction across the whole body of research is consistent enough to act on.
Who Actually Loses From This Finding
Runners who train exclusively in the evening because it fits their work schedule are the group most likely to feel penalized by this study. The realistic message is not evening running is bad. It is that one or two mornings a week is worth the alarm-clock discomfort for the long-term return. Weekend long runs are the easiest place to make the shift. Most runners already do them early. The Harvard-adjacent data quietly confirms this was correct all along.
The Sleep Trade-Off Nobody Is Discussing
The one legitimate concern with morning training is sleep. A 5 AM alarm to run at 6 AM only helps if the runner is asleep by 10 PM. Otherwise, the cardiometabolic gains get eaten by the well-documented performance damage of sleep deprivation. Move the bedtime first. Move the alarm second. Runners who try to do both at once tend to abandon the whole experiment within three weeks.
Link to article: https://tinyurl.com/2kk9w78c
Quote of the Week
You’ll never feel ready
because ready isn’t a
feeling…
it’s a decision.
Anonymous
Video of the Week
How to Get The Most Out of Your Long Run (3:37)
** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process, or service.
Ongoing Events
RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!
RunGo provides turn-by-turn navigation allowing you to just enjoy your runs without having to think about looking for street names and when you may have to turn next. Other great features include, audio cues with your running stats, split updates, the ability to share your runs via social media, and create new routes. Another great feature of the app is the ability to work offline. You can create and download your routes ahead of time, before your run so you don’t have to use data during your run.
Race Volunteers Needed!
As a runner, we know your time is valuable. But if you have a couple hours to spare, we could use your help for one of the upcoming AORTA supported or directed races! Assisting at a local race is a fun and rewarding experience. You are surrounded by health conscious individuals that, like you, are motivated fitness enthusiasts and appreciate the effort of volunteers.
Water Stop Volunteers Needed
Water stop signs and coolers are available at the following location: 1536 Professional Parkway, Auburn, AL. (Thank you Adahli Massey!). Coolers and signs can be picked up Monday-Thursday from 8AM-4PM and on Fridays from 8AM-12 noon. Items are in the room next to the back door. If you are unable to pick up supplies on these dates/times, e-mail clemster@aol.com to make alternative arrangements (we deliver!).
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