Runners to bare all at nudist resort race

Nearly 450 competitors are expected to run a 5-kilometer race in their birthday suits on Sunday at Lake Como Nudist Resort.

By RYAN DAVIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 5, 2001

LAND O'LAKES -- The only clothing necessary for Sunday's 5-kilometer race at Lake Como Nudist Resort: shoes and socks.

That is why it is called the "Dare to Go Bare 5K Run."

Starting at 8:30 a.m., about 450 competitors -- roughly 70 percent of them naked -- are expected to twice traverse the cross country loop through the 190-acre resort's orange grove.

"We see a lot of cotton tails running through our orange grove, and not the bunny kind either," said resort spokeswoman Sabrina Vizzari.

For the uninitiated, "cotton tails" is the name given to bare backsides that haven't seen the sun.

The run will be followed by a 21/2-kilometer walk at 9:30 a.m.

"A lot of people are curious about nude recreation but don't want to come out on their own," Vizzari said. "It's basically kind of a novelty. It's developed a following. Several runners have been coming year after year."

Some come from across the United States. Many are actually good runners, as evidenced by last year's winning time of 14 minutes and 54 seconds.

The winners will receive a free membership to the resort, which sells for $470, Vizzari said.

Sunday's event will be the ninth annual. Earlier this year the resort staged a nude flag football game that drew national publicity on the eve of the Super Bowl.

Vizzari's advice for that game was to let go of a flag if it didn't come off on first pull. She has advice for Sunday's participants as well: wear sunscreen.

"In fact, some of our sponsors have donated sunscreen samples," she said. "We don't want any lobster tails afterward."

For the uninitiated, "lobster tails" are what those cotton tails turn into after too much sun.

To register

Anyone interested in participating in the Dare to Go Bare 5K Run should call (813) 949-1810 or (877) 879-5253. Registration costs $25.

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