Knox Cross Country Team Sheds Shoes, Runs on Instinct

After a hard practice for the upcoming cross country season, there's nothing better than kicking off your shoes and... running some more, according to Alex Moreno, a record-holding runner in his Knox College career and now an assistant coach at Knox.

Following laps and sprints, Moreno explained why several members of the cross country team were running barefoot across Trevor Field.

"After the team has warmed up, it's the perfect time to run barefoot," Moreno said. "It reminds our bodies of the freedom we experienced ages ago.

"We're from a line of runners -- born to run -- and we want to tap into that instinct as much as possible."

A 1993 Knox graduate, Moreno set several career marks in track and top 25 performances in cross country as a student. His son, Gabe, is a sophomore on the cross country team this year.

Knox opens its cross country season September 2 at the Earlybird Invitational at Western Illinois University in Macomb.

Below, a member of the women's cross country team sprints barefoot on Trevor Field, while two members of the men's team run laps on Turner Track.