Getting serious about a sport can mean doing the previously unthinkable. Swimmers shave their bodies sleek. Cyclists take blood-boosters. And ultramarathoners have their battered toenails surgically removed — for good. Want pictures? (I can't imagine why you would, but still...) Here's one runner's surgery and recovery photos. [NSFWeakStomachs]
posted by dersins on Oct 21, 2009 - 68 comments

A bunch of people, sort of running, in slow motion
posted by Toekneesan on Oct 16, 2009 - 33 comments

Eddie Izzard is one of The UK’s most beloved comedians. He is not, however known for his athletic prowess. But that's all about to change, because Eddie’s just completed a run - a very, very, VERY long run. 43 Marathons in 51 days for charity. [more inside]
posted by ColdChef on Sep 15, 2009 - 94 comments

Damien Walters and Tim "Livewire" Shieff: Choose Your Own Adventure. (previously)

Related to (and probably a viral vid-series for) their new-ish YouTube show, The Walters & Shieff Show -- ep1, ep2, ep3, & ep4. [more inside]
posted by LordSludge on Aug 31, 2009 - 7 comments

"Twenty-five years ago this month, Al Joyner won a shocking gold medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles … and fell in love with a lady in tights."
posted by trillian on Aug 27, 2009 - 12 comments

Running is actually good for your knees, if you haven't suffered knee injuries in the past. [D]espite entrenched mythology to the contrary, runners don’t seem prone to degenerating knees. An important 2008 study, this one from Stanford University, followed middle-aged, longtime distance runners (not necessarily marathoners) for nearly 20 years, beginning in 1984, when most were in their 50s or 60s. At that time, 6.7 percent of the runners had creaky, mildly arthritic knees, while none of an age-matched control group did. After 20 years, however, the runners’ knees were healthier; only 20 percent showed arthritic changes, versus 32 percent of the control group’s knees. Barely 2 percent of the runners’ knees were severely arthritic, while almost 10 percent of the control group’s were.
posted by caddis on Aug 18, 2009 - 81 comments

Today is the first National Running Day in the US, with events taking place in metropolises like Boston, Chicago, New York, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Houston, as well as smaller communities like Chautauqua, New York. If you're not comfortable with running, you can try the Run Walk method, or start your Couch to 5k schedule. If you're already a runner, you may want to think up some creative ways to make today even more running-y. [Previously: no fancy shoes necessary]
posted by filthy light thief on Jun 3, 2009 - 13 comments

"At Stanford University two sales representatives from Nike were watching the athletics team practise. Part of their job was to gather feedback from the company's sponsored runners about which shoes they preferred. Unfortunately, it was proving difficult that day as the runners all seemed to prefer... nothing" - from Christopher McDougall's forthcoming book "Born to Run" which looks at the story the growth of the $20 billion running shoe industry. Starting form Bill Bowerman's Cortez in 1972 onwards runners have seen a steady flow of innovations to improve performance and reduce injury rates. Only it would appear they may not work. By way of contrast the book includes coverage of the Mexican Tarahumara tribe who run ultramarathons with shoes made from car tyres on their feet.
posted by rongorongo on Apr 20, 2009 - 38 comments

Zombies don't run, says Simon Pegg. Well ours do, says Charlie Brooker, director of Deadset. (also some stuff about the election and skeletor and stuff)
posted by Artw on Nov 9, 2008 - 84 comments

Here is the post. Here is the post. Here is the perfect post.
How does such a number function? What kind of thing is it?
We will look into that. We will investigate that.
posted by StopMakingSense on Nov 2, 2008 - 63 comments

Canicross is a dog sport that isn't well known in the states, but is gaining popularity in the UK and Europe. It's a little like running with your dog but a bit more technical, a little faster and way more fun.
posted by freshwater_pr0n on Sep 4, 2008 - 30 comments

Are nuns keeping up with the times and are they having fun? From blogs to running, to the arts and union disputes, nuns are busy. Even a beauty contest is being planned. But, the old ways persist. [more inside]
posted by Xurando on Aug 25, 2008 - 42 comments

The circumnavigators are out there. In February, Mike Beaumont completed the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle. Tomorrow, Rosie Swale, age 62, finishes her 4 1/2 year run around the world. As posted previously, Zac Sunderland is now attempting to break the record for the youngest sailing circumnavigation of the planet, now held by Jesse Martin.
posted by Xurando on Aug 24, 2008 - 9 comments

Usain Bolt is (still) the fastest man in the world. [more inside]
posted by chuckdarwin on Aug 16, 2008 - 98 comments

A runner's primer
posted by nthdegx on May 29, 2008 - 78 comments

You Walk Wrong. "It took 4 million years of evolution to perfect the human foot. But we’re wrecking it with every step we take." [Via]
posted by homunculus on Apr 22, 2008 - 102 comments

Meet Larry Perrier, the Flip Flop Man.
posted by jimmythefish on Apr 9, 2008 - 12 comments

MapMyRun.com
posted by konolia on Mar 14, 2008 - 24 comments

Buster Martin is an old man. This 101 year old Brit intends to run the London Marathon. He is, as you may guess, the sprightliest centenarian you've ever seen. Last year, after leaving a pub, he was jumped by some hoodlums, but managed to beat them off when he "pushed one and kung fu kicked the other." [more inside]
posted by whimsicalnymph on Mar 7, 2008 - 42 comments

Jallikattu, [Stunning Photographs | Jallikattu YouTube] an Indian version of the Running of the Bulls, takes place in the State of Tamil Nadu, during the Pongal festival each year. This year, the Supreme Court directed the State Government to put a halt to the practice, in vain, and the bulls were forced to participate as usual (with 129 people being gored, and many more injured). [more inside]
posted by hadjiboy on Jan 17, 2008 - 16 comments

"When we're running, you can't tell. When people look at us, they don't point and go, 'Yeah, he's homeless, she's not, she's educated.'" Mahlum explained, "You look and say, 'Oh, look at the runners.' That's a positive association, because there's no separation." [more inside]
posted by stagewhisper on Dec 21, 2007 - 8 comments

"In 1968, I received an invitation to the hundred-mile run at Walton-on-Thames, England, scheduled for October 1969. I pulled out all the stops for this one, running every marathon possible and enduring unheard-of training mileage when not racing. In July alone I ran a thousand miles, two hundred short of my goal[...]My only goal was to break the existing American record of 16:07:43." (Which he did, finishing in 13:33; still the U.S. 45 to 49 100-mile record.) Ted Corbitt, Olympian, American Record holder at 100 miles, died yesterday. NYT obit. [more inside]
posted by OmieWise on Dec 13, 2007 - 13 comments

Believe it or not, there was a record for running the fastest 50 mile ultra marathon while juggling. And this guy just beat it. I present to you: joggling. [more inside]
posted by Terminal Verbosity on Nov 5, 2007 - 11 comments

2:04:26 Sunday 1 Oct. Haile Gebrselassie set a new World Record (by 29 seconds!) when he won the Berlin Marathon. He's held the WR at 2k and 3k (indoor), 5k (several times) (1998 part 1, 2) , 10k (several times), 10mile, 1/2 marathon, one hour (also) and 25k. Bonus: Alan Webb bests the American Record for the Mile this summer: 3:46.91
posted by OmieWise on Oct 4, 2007 - 21 comments

Crazed runner keeps a ceremonial trophy.
posted by Blazecock Pileon on May 17, 2007 - 58 comments

Joggers decked out in short shorts and iPods running alongside the road are common, but have you ever seen someone running backward? Backward running has been growing in popularity for years in many countries across the world where competitive races vary in length from sprints to marathons. This very different form of exercise is reputed to have many health benefits, despite the very obvious dangers of not being able to see where one is going. Think you can beat the current world records for backward running? If so, then this is the person you're going to need to try and beat...
posted by Effigy2000 on May 12, 2007 - 11 comments

Once you go barefoot, you won't go back For many serious runners, the best running shoe is no shoe at all. Barefoot runners find themselves less prone to injuries such as plantar fascitis and ankle sprains, possibly because their feet get such a good workout. For those who would like to experience the benefits of barefoot running without the worry of road hazards like broken glass and cooties, Vibram Fivefingers are the next best thing.
posted by freshwater_pr0n on Mar 23, 2007 - 36 comments

With the help of Ossur's prosthetic feet, Oscar Pistorius is differently abled. Video. Walk Tall should be the next LiveStrong. (via)
posted by anotherpanacea on Mar 4, 2007 - 8 comments

Meet the Raven. Robert "Raven" Kraft has run barefoot in the sand at least three miles a day everyday since 1/1/75. He may seem a little obsessive, but he's only number 10 on the list. 1-9 are far more obsessive.
posted by Xurando on Feb 11, 2007 - 20 comments

Running From Camera The rules are simple: I put the self-timer on 2 seconds, push the button and try to get as far from the camera as I can. [via]
posted by Pater Aletheias on Jan 14, 2007 - 61 comments

MTBGuru is a new site that enables bikers, hikers and runners to upload GPS info, along with photos and comments, from their routes that get mashed up with Google Maps to create an ever-expanding trail resource. Mostly Bay Area now but that is changing.
posted by fenriq on Nov 29, 2006 - 9 comments

D'oh, a deer. Deer chases, licks, boy. Video.
posted by fixedgear on Oct 25, 2006 - 34 comments

It's the shoes. Yeah, another iPod post. And a Nike post. iPod + Nike, guaranteed to inflame millions.
posted by fixedgear on May 23, 2006 - 46 comments

Justin Gatlin is now the fastest man alive (in fact, he's faster than anyone not alive, as well).
posted by Elpoca on May 12, 2006 - 31 comments

Running nearly a marathon every single day (24 miles) might seem a little crazy. Keep perspective, though: it's all in preparation for running 40 miles a day for three months straight, across the country. What's more, the guy is 6'5", and will go through roughly 8000 calories a day -- as many in the jaunt as most people eat in an entire year. And then you realize that the whole thing is being done for charity. Now that takes balls (of your feet).
posted by ajshankar on May 9, 2006 - 50 comments

Why Homos have big butts, short shouts, and big leg joints: long distance running.
posted by orthogonality on Dec 12, 2005 - 36 comments

David Horton Attempts Pacific Crest Trail Record What the heck does that mean? It means running over 40 miles a day for 63 days. The PCT is 2,650 miles long.
posted by raaka on Jul 15, 2005 - 15 comments

Asafa Powell has set a new 100 meters world record.
posted by Elpoca on Jun 14, 2005 - 15 comments

On-On! I had never heard of the Hash House Harriers ("the drinking club with a running problem") until a friend clued me in. Now I don't know how I had missed them! They're certainly very visible -- and audible. Here's how it works. Their origins are in the British expat community in Kuala Lumpur, but nowadays they are everywhere!
One of their key ingredients is a bit problematic in this post-9/11 world, but they are adaptable.
posted by gurple on May 27, 2005 - 15 comments

Legendary running coach Arthur Lydiard died this weekend at age 87. Q and A with Lydiard here. Obit via Boomberg here. NYTimes obit here. Lydiard had been travelling through the US on a final lecture tour. Among distance runners Lydiard is a hero. Two of his athletes won gold medals for New Zealand at the 1960 Olympics, and Peter Snell went on to dominate the middle distance running at the 1964 Games, taking home two gold medals, the only man since 1920 to win both the 800m and the 1500m. Lydiard coached Mexican, Japanese and Finnish runners to Gold medal performances, and his philosophy of training has influenced countless other runners. Finland thought that he was important enough to the success of their runner's to award him the White Cross (eq. of a knighthood), making him the only non-Finn to be given the award. Lydiard's approach was high-mileage, aerobic conditioning. Even his middle distance runners trained 100 miles/week. He felt that too many athletes were training for speed first and endurance second. One of his lectures, explaining some of the science behind his theories, is here.
posted by OmieWise on Dec 13, 2004 - 10 comments

the mile of the century Fifty years ago today, Roger Bannister, the first man to break the 4-minute mile, and John Landy, who beat his record a month-and-a-half later, squared off in Vancouver BC to determine who was the fastest runner in the history of the world, in what is arguably the most dramatic sporting event of the 20th Century. The record for the mile has gone down astonishingly through the years, but are there limits on how low it can go? (View video of the historic Bannister vs. Landy matchup here.
posted by F4B2 on Aug 7, 2004 - 11 comments

I've run a marathon and it was hard. Then I learned about ultra marathoners doing 50 and 100 mile runs in one day. Then there are the marathons and ultra marathons in rough places, like Death Valley. Then there's the grand daddy of difficulty: The Marathon Des Sables. It's 6 days and 6 marathons long, run in a desert with temps topping 110F, you have to carry your week's gear and food, and you are limited to 9 liters of water a day. Here are some photos and blogger Ben Hammersley's current results are here. The event finishes tomorrow. [via jay allen]
posted by mathowie on Apr 16, 2004 - 18 comments

Marijuana Buzz Linked to 'Runner's High.' How do I begin to pose one suitable question? Will we see tapped-out stoners jogging roadside in Phish-logo sweats and Nikes? Will the DEA outlaw running? Will states enact "medical running" legislation? Will the ONDCP be forced to release new "Now go tell your teammates you were caught getting high from running; they'll understand" ads?
posted by ZenMasterThis on Jan 10, 2004 - 31 comments

A 44-year-old Buddhist priest completed a seven-year, 24,800-mile running ritual on Thursday in Japan. The grueling ritual is performed by the gyoja, or "Marathon Monks," of the Tendai School of Buddhism at Mount Hiei. The ritual began in the year 831 with the monk So-o, and involves periods of running, walking, and chanting and praying to the Japanese deity Fudo Myo-o.
posted by homunculus on Sep 20, 2003 - 8 comments

These guys are running across the United States from New Jersey to Oregon and they're looking for a place to stay. Check to see if they're coming to your town or read their blog. It's not as hard as walking around the world or running for 1000 miles in 1000 hours, but it's still ambitious.
posted by Frank Grimes on Feb 19, 2003 - 11 comments

1000 Miles in 1000 Hours - London Marathon organizers plan to reproduce the feat achieved almost 200 years ago by a legendary sportsman and gambler called Captain Robert Barclay. Five contestants will run 1000 miles in 1000 hours and then compete in the London Marathon to decide the winner.
posted by Frank Grimes on Dec 20, 2002 - 15 comments

New 100m world record
"Once again, the 100m record holder is truly the fastest man on earth"
posted by daveg on Sep 15, 2002 - 19 comments

Today is the 105th running of the Boston Marathon. Growing up in Natick, Massachusetts, which is the ten-mile point of the route, the Marathon was always a huge deal. I remember watching every year as the wheelchair racers would zoom by to the roar of the crowd. We'd then wait a few minutes until the State Police motorcycles and the press trucks marked the lead runners. Before long the street was nothing but a solid wall of runners in all shapes, sizes and colors. A favorite thing to do would be to cheer someone on based on the t-shirt they were wearing. One year I saw a man wearing a t-shirt with a picture of the Mandlebrot Set. I yelled "Go fractal man!" He looked at me and smiled, and I knew I gave him a little bit of a boost that day. The race is certainly a yearly tradition around these parts. Does the rest of the world care? Is this big news elsewhere or just a small blurb on Page E-6?
posted by bondcliff on Apr 16, 2001 - 37 comments

It's a bird, it's a plane....no, it's SPEEDO-MAN Almost an urban myth, SpeedoMan jogs the early morning streets of Annapolis, MD wearing nothing but...you guessed it...a Speedo. Is he CIA, is he FBI? Is he just some weirdo guy?
posted by briank on Mar 2, 2001 - 19 comments

Robert Garside has received uncritical media coverage as he attempts to get into the Guiness Book of Records for being the first man to run around the world.
David Blaikie maintains Ultramarathon World (an online magazine for runners who find marathons too short) and is more than a little skeptical of Garside's claims.
The inevitable legal threats result.
posted by normy on Jan 28, 2001 - 4 comments