AORTA News: August 24th, 2026
It’s National Park Week!
We didn’t explore a national park, but we did explore a few miles of Auburn with our biggest Saturday Group Run crowd in years!
Thanks to so many familiar faces, new runners, and visitors who joined with us this past Saturday!
Returning Tigers, looking for a local running group to share fun and friendship while striding around the town? Join us every Saturday morning for our weekly group runs. Check the column at right for our schedules. These routes feature waterstops every two and a half to three miles! All are welcome and membership is not required, although we do ask you take necessary precautions to stay safe.
Schools Are Open - Be Safe!
It’s that time of the year where our local schools are filled with the ever burgeoning youth population which means more traffic, crowded sidewalks, crosswalks and intersections. Despite all the warnings and admonitions, texting while driving is still an epidemic. In fact, “texting while driving has now surpassed drinking and driving as the leading cause of death among teens, according to a new study.”
Upcoming Race This Week!
Chi Omega and Farmhouse Color Run 5K
When: Saturday, August 29, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM (5K)
Where: Cater Lawn, Auburn, AL
Fee: $30, $15 (AU students)
Description: This 5K starts at Cater Lawn with proceeds going towards benefitting both organizations' philanthropies: the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At each color station, a different color powder will be thrown by volunteers onto the shirts of the runners, so wear white, and expect to be covered in color by the end of the race!
Upcoming Local Races
Auburn University ODK Cake 5K
When: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM
Where: Cater Lawn, AU Campus
Distance: 5K
Fee: Free
Description: Omicron Delta Kappa will be hosting Auburn University's Annual Cake Race to kickoff Homecoming Week. The 5k is open to the Auburn community, and the top five male and female finishers of the race will win a cake! This longstanding Auburn tradition will begin and end in front of Katherine Cooper Cater Hall, and the route will take participants around Auburn's campus.
Mercy Medical 5K/10K
When: Saturday, Ocbober 03, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile) 8:30 (5K/10K)
Where: Ogletree Shopping Center, Auburn
Distance: 1M, 5K, 10K
Fee: $20 (1M), $35 (5K), $45 (10K)
Description: Come join us for the 3rd annual Mercy Medical Run to raise money from this race, all of it, will be donated to Mercy Medical. For over 25 years, Mercy Medical has fulfilled this mission through the generous financial support of our community. The clinic is staffed primarily by volunteers who selflessly give their time to love and serve the underserved of our community.
Walk For Life + 5K
- When: Saturday, October 10, 2026
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile), 8:30 AM (5K)
- Where: Opelika Sportsplex
- Fee: $30 (5K), $10 (1M), $0 for 12 & Under (1M)
- Description: Looking for an easy and fun way to make a difference for LIFE? Join Women's Hope Medical Clinic & Hope Adoptions as a runner or fundraising walker for our upcoming Walk For Life + 5K! By getting sponsors to support your walk, you can help reach our fundraising goal and play a significant role in cultivating a culture of life.
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.
Dealing with Summer Heat
The Auburn hills are tough enough—but add in summer heat and humidity, and it’s a whole new challenge. As the saying goes, it’s not just the heat, it’s the humidity—and it can zap even the most dedicated runner. Use the table below to help pace yourself, and take extra precautions anytime the apparent temperature tops 90°F.
Weekly Whimsy
Why Do Runners Get Black Toenails?
August 19, 2026, RunningState
Dark toenails are almost a rite of passage for runners. You peel off your socks after a long run and find a nail gone purple, black, or lifting at the edge. It looks alarming the first time, and many runners assume the worst. Runners even have a name for it, runner’s toe.
Below, we’ll explain what a black toenail really is, what causes it, and how to prevent it.
What Runner’s Toe Is
A black toenail is bleeding trapped under the nail, and doctors call it a subungual hematoma. Runners know it as runner’s toe.
The cause comes down to simple mechanics. Each time your foot lands, your toes slide forward and tap the front of your shoe. One tap does nothing, but thousands of taps on a single run can bruise the nail bed, break tiny blood vessels, and leave blood pooled under the hard nail. That trapped blood turns the nail black, red, or purple, and the pressure can lift it away from the skin underneath.
Because the nail is hard and cannot flex, the blood has nowhere to escape, which is why the mark can take months to grow out. Sometimes the nail throbs, and sometimes you feel nothing and only notice the color days later.
The big toe takes the worst of it for most people, since it is usually the longest. If your second toe is longer, a common foot shape called Morton’s toe, that nail may go dark instead.
The shape of the shoe matters as much as its length, because a narrow, pointed toe box adds pressure even when the size is right.
What Causes A Black Toenail
Several things push your toes into the front of the shoe and raise your chances of a black toenail:
• Running downhill, which jams your toes forward
• Feet swelling on long runs, so your shoes get tighter
• Toenails left too long, which catch the top of the shoe
• Shoes that are too short, or too narrow through the toe box
• Shoes too loose through the midfoot, letting your foot slide
• Big mileage with little recovery for the nail
Black toenails are common, and they show up most after long races and heavy training blocks. The damage also builds up over weeks, so a nail can darken from steady training even without one obviously bad run.
6 Ways To Prevent Black Toenails From Running
You can stop most black toenails with a few changes to your shoes and routine:
1. Get the right shoe size. Leave about a thumb’s width (1 cm) between your longest toe and the front of the shoe. Feet swell as you run, so fit for your bigger, end-of-run foot.
2. Trim your nails straight across. Keep them short so they cannot press into the top of the shoe, and smooth any sharp corners.
3. Wear moisture-wicking socks. Dry feet slide less, so your toes stay in place and do not drift into the front.
4. Try heel-lock lacing. Anchoring your heel with the top eyelets stops your foot from sliding forward, which helps most on downhills.
5. Protect a sore toe on long runs. A little lubricant or a soft cap over a tender nail cuts the friction.
6. Build mileage slowly and control downhills. Give your feet time to adapt, and hold your pace back on steep descents where much of the damage happens.
If black toenails keep coming back, a fitting at a running store can catch a size or shape problem you have missed.
Can You Lose The Whole Toenail?
Sometimes, yes. A black toenail does not always fall off, and many grow out dark and recover on their own. When the bruise underneath is large, though, the nail can lift and eventually come away from the toe. That looks dramatic, yet it is rarely a real problem.
If the nail does come off, it almost always grows back. A big toenail can need 6 to 12 months to return fully, and smaller nails come back faster. The new nail may look ridged or thicker at first, and it usually smooths out as it grows. After years of repeated knocks, a nail can grow back permanently thicker or a little misshapen, which is harmless even when it looks different.
While it heals, resist the urge to pull off a nail that is lifting. Let it fall away on its own, and keep the toe clean and covered so the skin underneath stays protected. A lifted nail can let in fungus, so dry your feet well and change out of damp socks. See a professional if the toe grows red, swollen, or leaks fluid, since that can point to an infection.
Overall, a black toenail with no pain needs nothing beyond patience, and it will either grow out or drop off in its own time. Most runners get one at some point and forget about it once it clears. Keep your shoes fitted and your nails trimmed straight across, and you will see far fewer of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do black toenails always fall off?
No. Many grow out dark and recover without ever coming off. The nail lifts and drops only when the bruise underneath is large, and even then it almost always grows back.
Should I pull off a loose black toenail?
No. Let it detach on its own. Pulling it early exposes the tender skin underneath and raises your infection risk. Keep it covered until it comes away naturally.
Should I drain a black toenail myself?
Better not to. Draining relieves the pressure, but doing it at home invites infection. If the pressure is very painful, have a professional release it in clean conditions.
Can I keep running with a black toenail?
Usually yes, if it is not painful. A dark nail with no real pain is mostly a cosmetic issue. If there is throbbing pressure, ease off and have it looked at.
Are black toenails a sign my shoes are too small?
Sometimes, though not always. Short shoes are one cause, and so are downhill running, long toenails, and feet sliding forward on long runs. Check your fit first, then your lacing and nail length.
Link to article: https://tinyurl.com/43zmndam
Quote of the Week
The hardest step
for a runner
is the first one
out the front door.
Anonymous
Video of the Week
Marathons aren't about Running (3:38)
** 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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