Runner Spotlight - April 2026

​Chad Handrich recently moved to Norton Shores in 2021, a transplant from Covid-lockdown era Metro Detroit.  He’s worked nomadically across southern Michigan as a software developer for various companies for 25 years, on applications ranging from welding to insurance to other types of insurance.

He’s been an avid video-gamer since the Atari 2600, which was his childhood inspiration to learn computer programming to make his own games.  He also enjoys music/concerts, stand-up comedy, poker, traveling, internet rabbit-holes, and any reason to be outdoors.
  
1. How long have you been running?  I’ve had a few false-starts trying to get into running in the past.  They’ve always fizzled out due to various things like injuries, burnout, or just living in parts of the city that lack good running routes.  Once I started attending “Run Muskegon” in 2021, it started to become more of a habit.
 
2. Do you race? If so, what is your most memorable race experience?  I’m not particularly competitive, but lately I’ve been signing up for 5K’s and sometimes longer distances I’m not technically ready for.  My most memorable race experience was the 2024 Ragnar relay race, from Traverse City to Muskegon.  Piling a bunch of sweaty teammates into a van as we drive from town to town is the closest I’ll get to being in a rock and roll band.
 
3. Ever run in a costume? If so, what?  I’m always wearing my Chad costume.
 
4. Only running shoes for me are…  Whatever Runner’s World tells me is hot this season.
 
5. What is your worst running-related injury?  When you run a half-marathon before you’re ready, it can deeply strain certain muscles.  Muscles I dare not speak of here.
 
6. Hot or cold weather runner?  “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
- United States Postal Service Creed
 
7. What is your motivation for running?  It’s the most enjoyable and meditative way to stay fit. Just zone out and keep going, like a long-haul trucker.
 
8. If I didn't run I....  Would jog, walk, or crawl.
 
9. I can't run without…  Often, it’s headphones.  But I like to occasionally run without anything: you must detach from all things to meditate.
 
10. What's the farthest you have run at one time?  A half-marathon that I probably wasn’t ready for.  (But I sense a rematch coming…)
 
11. What brought you to Run Muskegon and why have you stayed?  After moving to Norton Shores, I found Run Muskegon a good place to meet new people in a new town. And adopt healthier habits. 
 

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