ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Not far from Race Thompson’s home in Plymouth, Minnesota, there’s a steep hill covered in luscious green grass and spotted with small patches of dirt from a continued tread. In spring, when the weight rooms closed and the gyms shut down due to COVID-19, Thompson went to the hill along with his brother and a few friends.
They started working out in the mornings shortly after students across the country were sent home. Thompson slipped on a weighted vest and dug a pair of new Adidas cleats into the ground during sprints up the hill.