Company’s running president hopes fun atmosphere encourages runners
Nov. 5, 2012
For immediate release
Mention ‘The Wall’ to a marathoner and thoughts of pain and suffering quickly come to mind.
But Kris Vogt has something else in mind for the 20-mile mark of the upcoming 30th annual California International Marathon.
How about a party?
Vogt, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and an avid marathoner himself, is leading his company’s charge to turn ‘The Wall’ into a festive, fun-filled spot on race day.
The company, an official race sponsor, is inviting the community to come down to the Loehmann’s Plaza area – the company’s Sierra Oaks office is nearby across Fair Oaks Boulevard – to encourage runners as they hit ‘The Wall” on Dec. 2.
“The Party at the Wall” is scheduled to include music, food trucks and plenty of fun.
‘The Wall’ refers to that point in the marathon where the body supposedly runs out of stored fuel.
“There’s nothing more you can do for a runner than give them not just a little bit of support but amazing support,” Vogt said. “You might get to be the ones to get them to the finish line.”
Vogt should know. Since starting a fitness program five years ago, he’s run in a dozen marathons, including Boston and New York City.
“I’ve had the good fortune to run in these amazingly huge venues and see what crowd support can do for runners and the community,” Vogt said. “I want to do everything within my power to make a significant impact on the local community.
“What I said is, ‘Look, we’re going to have a party at The Wall this year.’ We’re not going to have just a few people.”
Vogt hopes to draw 1,000 people to ‘The Wall’ to encourage runners as they begin the final stretch of the 26.2-mile journey from Folsom to the state Capitol.
His own running journey helped Vogt lose 75 pounds and finish his first marathon five months after he started training.
“I was a baseball player growing up,” said Vogt, an Elk Grove High School and UC Davis graduate who lives in Wilton. “I ran as part of punishment growing up.
“I was one of those people, I swore I’d never, ever run.”
But after a friend encouraged him to start, Vogt became hooked.
“I feel better at 46, frankly, than I did at 18 or 19,” he said.
Vogt should have a pretty good idea how ‘The Party at the Wall’ turns out. He’s running in the CIM, so he’ll be one of the marathoners hoping to receive a big boost at ‘The Wall.’
The CIM, which is expected to attract a field of more than 9,300 marathoners, 4,000 relay runners and 2,000 Kaiser maraFUNrun entrants, is put on by the Sacramento Running Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.
Other SRA events include the just concluded Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon, the Super Bowl Sunday 10k Run on Feb. 3 and the Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run on April 7.
SRA beneficiaries include the American River Parkway, youth fitness programs, local running venues and aspiring young runners.