Meet Meredith. She likes to Run.

Meredith Bumgarner, MS, OTR-L, is an occupational therapist at OrthoCarolina Hickory and is also an SGX-certified Spartan trainer.

“For me, it’s about the runner’s high.  There is nothing like running to provide a feeling of rejuvenation! “

Why I love to run: I lead a group training for Spartan races and it’s fun to cheer each other on. Participating in Spartan races has increased my overall fitness level and improved my half and full marathon times.

Favorite place to run: I live in Hickory and love running around our local college - it’s beautiful with big trees and little traffic. I also like running around Hickory high school it’s well-lit and feels safe.

Favorite race: My favorite race is the Biltmore Marathon in Asheville. The views are phenomenal. There’s good variety with part of the race on the road and part on a gravel trail. The race is very well organized with great fan support and nice water and nutrition stations.

My favorite running tip: Footwear and apparel are important. Don’t buy a new outfit or pair of shoes right before a big race. Train in what you will wear race day.

My PUMP UP running song: Anything fast works for me! I listen to the pop station or running workout station on Pandora.