Category Archives: Marathon

Adventurer on marathon challenge

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Rosie SwaleRosie Swale Pope, who completed a five-year round-the-world run in 2008, has set off on a new challenge in a bid to raise money for charity.

The 63-year-old adventurer, who aims to complete 26 marathons in 26 days, started from her home town of Tenby, west Wales.

She is hoping to cover 681 miles before the end of the month to raise money for Ty Hafan children’s hospice in Cardiff and Helen & Douglas House in Oxford.

Mrs Pope will run marathons in towns including Cardiff, Bristol, Bath and Brighton before finishing in Llanelli on April 30.

She started on a 20,000-mile run on her 57th birthday in 2003 and came back to Tenby in August 2008. The adventure ran round the world in memory of her husband, who died of cancer.

Mrs Pope was honoured with an MBE for her achievement last month, during which she wore out 53 pairs of shoes.

The North Pole Marathon

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NorthPoleMarathonThousands of people take part in Marathons all over the world, but the North Pole Marathon is possibly one of the toughest there is.

The North Pole Marathon takes place at this time every year. Only a select few will run the race at the top of the world in extreme, sub-zero temperatures to finish on top of the world after a 26.2 mile run.

You have to have reel courage and extreme motivation to travel to the North Pole and run on Arctic ice floes with only 6 to 12 feet of ice separating you from 12,000 feet of Arctic Ocean. Participants have to be able to handle the extreme cold weather conditions and be very fit too.

For any competitor, running a marathon is a gruelling challenge. This year 49 year-old Jamie Cuthbertson is taking part in the North Pole Marathon. Jamie is a ex-serviceman who was left blind after an explosives accident whilst he was serving in the Royal Engineers in Novemeber 1986.

Jamie isn’t a first time marathoner, he has already competed is desert challenges across the world as well as domestic races, the London Triathlon and Glasgow Marathon. He wants to show people that there is life after blindness, that you’re only limited by the barriers you put there yourself.

Jamie’s blindness means that he faces a mountain of hazards which other competitors do not even have to think about. The ice is uneven and small ice hills are dotted about which could easily cause twisted or even broken ankles.

The marathon at the North Pole also features an exciting team challenge. The title is decided by the cumulative time of a team’s first thee competitors to the finish line. This race also offers athletes the opportunity to join the very exclusive North Pole Marathon Grand Slam Club if they have completed a marathon on all seven continents as well as this marathon on the Arctic Ocean.

The world’s first kilomarathon

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kilomarathonOkay, so we’ve all heard of the marathon right? The 26.2 mile endeavour that challenges runners to test their limits of endurance. But truth be told that miles are really used in only a few select countries who are still refusing to adapt to the rest of the world who instead rely on the metric measurement method. For this reason there is now the kilomarathon which is aptly made up of 26.2 kilometres instead of miles.

So just how far is this in terms of miles? Well there are about 2.2 kilometres for every mile so that works out to be 16.3 miles for this kilomarathon for anyone who is counting. So if you are looking to suit up in your fitness clothes and get to running, here’s the dirt on this special event.

The unique thing here is that you have the chance to be a participant in the inaugural kilomarathon in a few events held across Europe. There is the one taking place in England on the 14th of March, the gun will go off in Scotland on the 3rd of October, and if you aren’t ready to lace up just yet you can start training and hop in the race in North Ireland or Wales happening in 2011. Being that your first chance is fast approaching, should you want to run the kilomarathon in England you should head on-line and sign up fast because the entries will be closed off as of the 17th of February.

So who should enter this blessed event? Well the answer is everyone, including you! Running is in fact one of the very best cardiovascular activities to not only increase endurance and stamina but to shed those pesky pounds as well. Per minutes of exertion running comes out on top of nearly any other form of cardio that you could do outside or at the gym. And being that the traditional marathon may seem too daunting for many of those in their gym clothes, this shorter version, albeit still an accomplishment, is a bit more manageable.

The entire event is designed to be fun and between the race itself there are other activities and nearby accommodations that will pamper those tired quads and sore feet after you’ve crossed that finish line. You’ll also be entitled to a special race day tee, a goody bag filled with treats, and of course a medal for finishing…everyone is a winner at the kilomarathon. Then after you can get to your carbo refuelling with plenty of after race refreshments and drinks. So show those blasted US miles a thing or two and stick with metric with the kilomarathon; hope to see you there!