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[[File:MortonAR172.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Mike Morton carrying the USA flag at the end of his record setting run.]]
This mid-run [[Stretching| stretch]] is modeled after the stretch that Mike Morton did while setting the American Record for 24 hours (172 miles) at the [[2012_Poland_24_Hour_World_Championships| 2012 World Championships]]. I saw Mike do this stretch repeatedly during that race, and I've since emulated it. I've found that it refreshes my legs in everything from training runs to 24 hour races. The Morton stretch is simple and quick, but does not act as a traditional stretch that holds a [[Muscle|muscle ]] at full extension. Instead, it moves multiple muscles through their natural range of motion. Unlike many stretches, The Morton does not fully contract any muscles, which can lead to [[Cramps| cramping]]. I don’t normally have a problem with cramping, but the quad stretch where you pull your foot towards your buttocks can trigger a nasty hamstring cramp if I do it after the 50 mile mark. The steps to perform the Morton Stretch are shown with pictures below.
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