Ainsley Chapman, Potatoes USA’s second-ever Speedy Spud, ran the Salt Lake City Half Marathon in style last month.
The style? A custom-made potato costume with a nutrition label showcasing the nutrient-dense spud’s potential to fuel athletic performance.
Chapman drew interest not only from her fellow racers, but also local and even national media, earning coverage from ABC4 Utah, which aired the story five times; Deseret News and KSL.com. The ABC4 Utah story was also picked up nationally by Yahoo! Sports and MSN.com.
The goal of the Speedy Spud sponsorship was to educate people about the benefits of potatoes as an affordable, delicious, and nutrient-dense source of fuel, and Chapman did not disappoint in sharing that message with the media and fellow runners.
“As a runner, I need nutrient-dense food with an emphasis on carbohydrates in order to complete my runs and continually improve,” she said. “Potatoes offer a versatile and affordable way to get those nutrients.”
Chapman started running in college, and even though she now works full-time as an engineer while studying for her master’s degree, she still finds time to run — all while fueling her body and brain with potatoes. She finished the half-marathon in the Speedy Spud costume with an impressive time of 1:41:15 — about one mile every 7 minutes and 44 seconds.
The Potatoes USA team was on hand to cheer Chapman on and educate other racers about the performance power of potatoes, both at the Expo the day before the race and at the finish line. Six lucky racers redeemed VIP (Very Important Potato) Tickets to win Team Potato-branded Osprey backpacks, while others stopped by to join Team Potato or learn more about America’s favorite vegetable.
Click here to learn more about Team Potato or check out our club on Strava here.