Proving they are a force to be reckoned with, Foot Solutions, the world’s largest franchiser focused on foot care health and wellness and relatively new on the running scene, took the Boston Marathon by storm last week when several of its runners were thrust into the national spotlight with strong appearances despite injuries and biomechanic issues.

Leading the marathon for the first 17 miles, two Foot Solutions runners attempted to do what the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team did during the 1980 Olympics in their famous upset of the supposedly invisible Russian team.

“It was our strategy from the start to run the race hard at the beginning and still finish strong,” said Foot Solutions Elite Running Coach Margaret Sue Bozgoz. “Of course we knew that the odds were not in our favor. Foot Solutions is a relatively small company and cannot afford the top runners in the business. But Jared Nyamboki, our strongest runner, is known for his quick start and with our other runner serving as the pacer, we believed Nyamboki, if he could get over Heartbreak Hill,had a chance to go the distance and win at Boston.”

The strategy conceived by Bozgoz and supported by Foot Solutions Founder and CEO Ray Margiano was one that some questioned in the days following the race.  But both Bozgoz and Margiano answered their critics by simply explaining their underdog philosophy. “Boston is the premier running event and so we thought it was worth the gamble to try something different there,” Margiano said.  It didn’t work out as planned but think about how fantastic and memorable it would have been had it worked.  Who knows, if the weather had been better he really might have been able to do it,” Margiano said. “In any case, we are proud of our runners and the race they ran.”

Nyamboki, a Kenya native who lives and trains in Fayetteville, Ga. , and the majority of his Foot Solutions team members, are literally running for their lives.  Most of the Foot Solutions team is running to escape extreme poverty in their native countries and many face political persecution. “As minor leaguers in the marathon field, we are also particularly proud of our over 40 runners who prove every day that excellence can be achieved at any age,” said Margiano…..continue reading

One’s first Boston Marathon will always be a memorable one.  With its rich history, excellent competition, and enthusiastic spectators, it’s sure to be an unforgettable event. For the 2007 Boston Marathon masters champions, it was no different.  Oleg Strizhakov, 43,  captured the men’s masters title in 2:28:55. He is a Russian citizen currently residing in Gainesville, FL,where he, along with several fellow Russian long-distance runners, normally enjoy warm and sunny days. Yet both Strizhakov and Lozano emerged as the strongest competitors in their division by wisely running tactical races. Their reward was the most prestigious masters title in the sport, a beautiful trophy, and $ 10,000 in prize money. What worried Strizhakov more than the weather was the strong masters field….continue reading