SEATTLE — This wooded trail in Discovery Park is sometimes a testing lab.
And running along any trail is what a day at work sometimes looks like for Bryan Bhark. He develops shoes for Brooks, the running shoe company based in Seattle.
"It's been my dream job, to work on the shoes that I get to eventually run in is really special," Bhark said.
At company headquarters in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood shoes are designed, prototyped and tested. Often disguised with tape so testers won't be biased.
And even Woody, the lab's test dummy, sports a cap bearing the Brooks mantra: 'Run Happy.'
Also in the lab, runners slip on black and yellow socks and scientists Velcro tiny balls onto the socks in a dozen spots. It's not a running shoe. But it's a crucial step in building one.
Scientist Megan Alfi is using motion capture balls and cameras to measure human movement as a volunteer walks, then runs on a treadmill. This helps the Brooks team make shoes that support how a body naturally moves.
They also trail test shoes 'in the wild.' Right now, trail running is hugely popular. Responding to the boom, Brooks makes four different trail-specific running shoes and just launched High Point, a new line of performance trail clothes.
"The nature of trail running is highly dynamic compared to running on a road so they're different considerations that go into building a trail shoe versus a road shoe,” Bhark said.
And Brooks has the perfect testing ground for trail running shoes in their own backyard.
"I've run in many places all over the country, in the world and Washington state is my favorite place to run. Just because there's so much here,” said Bhark, who’s been a runner since middle school. “So there's never a shortage of terrain types to test our shoes on."
Bhark's recommended Northwest trails to run? Tiger Mountain, Mount Si and Mailbox Peak. All challenging spots. But even a trot along the trail at your favorite local park is a good first step towards 'Run Happy.'
"I think 'Run Happy' to me means using running to be your best self. In addition to that, just being able to explore this amazing landscape on two feet is really special,” Bhark said.
This story is sponsored by Brooks.
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