Ultramax Sports, Formerly The Starting Block

Ultramax Sports now hosts Run Technique Clinics at all three store locations (Columbia, MO, Springfield, MO, and now Kansas City in Prairie Village, KS.)

Do you want to run better, more efficiently and with less injury? Then attend one of our popular Natural Running Clinics! Occurring on a monthly basis, most clinics are located at each of our three store locations. Each clinic costs $20 and lasts anywhere between 60-90 minutes.

What will I learn?

1) Education about foot mechanics

2) Proper body alignment keys

3) Run form Keys

4) How to increase run cadence

5) Strength exercises

6) Proper flexibility needed for natural running

Registration Cost: $20

Class participants need to pre-register in person or at least one day prior to the respective clinic date. Participants may also attend one follow-up clinic for free.

Upcoming Dates - COLUMBIA

• Saturday, May 12 @ 10AM

• Tuesday, May 22 @ 5:30PM

Location: Ultramax Sports Columbia / 2902 Forum Blvd. Suite 101 / Columbia, Missouri

*Want more info? Give our Columbia store now a call at 573-874-1803.

Upcoming Dates - SPRINGFIELD

• Saturday, May 26 @ 12PM

• Saturday, June 30 @ 12PM

• Saturday, July 14 @ 12PM

Location: Ultramax Sports Springfield / 1254 E. Republic Road / Springfield, Missouri

*Want more info? Give our store now at call at 417-890-7200.

Upcoming Dates - KANSAS CITY

• Saturday, May 5th @ 1PM

• Friday, May 18th @ 9AM - All-Ladies Run Clinic (taught by Amy Livesay)

• Saturday, May 19th @ 10AM 


• Satuday, June 9th @ 1PM

• Saturday, June 18th @ 6PM

Location: Ultramax Sports / 6911 Tomahawk Road / Prairie Village, KS

*Want more info? Give our store now at call at 913-403-0507.

When / Where: Springfield Informational Meeting is Tuesday, June 19th at 5:45PM. The first training run is Saturday, June 23rd at 8am. Both events will take place at Ultramax Sports - 1254 E. Republic Rd., Springfield, MO 65804.

Training Runs: Training Runs will be on Tuesday evenings at 5:45PM and Saturday mornings at 8:00AM beginning from Ultramax Sports and nearby routes. We will utilize a run / walk interval format.

Should I be running already? No. This is a program tailored for beginners. There will be all levels so YES YOU CAN!!

Race: Races give us goals and they are fun! Our goal is the Cherish Kids River Run on August 25th at 8:00am in Ozark, MO.

What if I can't make it to the training sessions? Not a problem! You will get a schedule of what to do so you can continue on your own if you can't make it to the group run.

What will I need? Shoes and comfortable clothes.

Cost: $65 gets you: a training plan, group training twice a week with coaching, Natural Running Clinic, a training shirt, and complimentary entry into the Cherish Kids River Run.

How do I sign up? Print out and fill out the Registration Form and return to Ultramax Sports. Please register at the store. Payment is due at time of registration.

When / Where: KC Informational Meeting is Tuesday, May 8th at 6:00PM. The first training run is Tuesday, May 15th at 6:00PM. Both events will take place at Ultramax Sports - 6911 Tomahawk Rd., Prairie Village, KS 66208.

Training Runs: Training Runs will be on Tuesday evenings at 6:00PM and Saturday mornings at 8:00AM beginning from Ultramax Sports and nearby routes. We will utilize a run / walk interval format.

Should I be running already? No. This is a program tailored for beginners. There will be all levels so YES YOU CAN!!

Race: Races give us goals and they are fun! Our goal is the MLB All-Star Game Charity 5K & Fun Run on July 8th at 7:30AM in downtown Kansas City.

What if I can't make it to the training sessions? Not a problem! You will get a schedule of what to do so you can continue on your own if you can't make it to the group run.

What will I need? Shoes and comfortable clothes.

Cost: $65 gets you: a training plan, group training twice a week with coaching, Natural Running Clinic, a training shirt, and complimentary entry into the MLB All-Star Game Charity 5K on Saturday, July 8th.

How do I sign up? Print out and fill out the Registration Form and return to Ultramax Sports (6911 Tomahawk Rd., Prairie Village, KS 66208). You must register at the store. Payment is due at time of registration.

Cost = $75 - Register Online (Coming Soon) or download the Manual Registration form, fill out and return to Ultramax Sports.

Weekly Group Runs: We will meet Tuesdays at 5:45 pm (location will vary) and Saturdays at 8:00 am (location will also vary). Look for a link to be posted with the location schedule!

New in 2012 - Heart rate based testing and follow ups will now be included in the half and full marathon programs. If you have never taken the time to use heart rate or do not know how to start, you will be pleasantly surprised at how helpful it is and how much faster you will progress. Heart rate training has long been shown to be one of the best ways to monitor progress and we are super excited to be using it this year!

Semester #1: January - May Lineup (You may choose to do one or all of these events with us.)
• February 11th: Psycho Wyco 10-Mile, 20-Mile, and 50K Trail Runs (Kansas City, KS)
• March 3rd: AdventureMax Team Triathlon + Half Marathon and 10K Trail Runs (Innsbrook, MO)
• March 17th: Ultramax Sports My ShamRox 15K + 5K Run (Springfield, MO)
• April 28th: Kentucky Derby Marathon + Half Marathon (Louisville, KY)
• May 26th: MU Women's and Children's Hospital Go Girl Run Half Marathon + 5K Run (Columbia, MO - 5K is open to both men and women)

Semester #2: June - December Lineup - TBD

The training program will consist of the following:
• Tuesdays: Track Work - If you have never done speed work, do not be afraid. These will definitely make you faster and move comfortable in your running.
• Saturdays: Long Runs - We will map out the courses for you as well as make sure water and gels are available at regular intervals on the course.
• Monthly: Follow up testing and monitoring monthly to track progression. This will be one Tuesday night per month.
• Clinics: Immediately following the monthly testing, we will hold a clinic each month to cover a variety of topics including an introduction to heart rate based training, charting and interpreting your own results, training nutrition and hydration, and a variety of guest speakers on topics such as injury prevention, the use of foam rollers and more.
• Monthly Socials: One Thursday a month we will have a Bars and Beer Run. This will be an easy run from downtown followed by a social at one of the local establishments.

Each registrant will also receive the following: Long sleeve training shirt, additional goodies (including a pair of socks, a reflective item, and/or nutritional products), a spring semester training manual that includes a daily training plan, your spreadsheet to calculate your progress, a heart rate zone chart, courses, and more, 10% discounts on AdventureMax, My ShamRox, and Go Girl Half Marathon, 10% off at The Starting Block/Ultramax Sports while you are enrolled in our program, and a group discount night each semester. (Please note that once our loyalty program goes into effect, it cannot be combined with either discounts.)

Need more information? Give our Columbia store a call (573-874-1803) or Contact Us through our online form - we will be happy to help!