Topic: marathons

From Near-Death To Running Marathons, ‘Because I Can’

From Near-Death To Running Marathons, 'Because I Can'

Some people are true inspirations in life. Janet Oberholtzer is one of them. The 46 year-old mother of three from Pennsylvania was in a nearly-fatal car accident in 2004 that caused her to be severely injured and unable to walk. But, because she says our bodies are meant to move, she battled pain and depression and chose a different path for herself, which today includes running marathons “because she can.” Read her story and be inspired. More »

How Far We’ve Come: A Short History Of Women’s Marathons

How Far We've Come: A Short History Of Women's Marathons

In 2011, 43% of the Boston Marathon’s participants—people who met qualifying times for one of the most prestigious and grueling races in the U.S.—were female. In 1967, only one was, and she was nearly evicted from the course for being a woman. Her name is Kathrine Switzer, and anyone who’s seen photos of her dodging the reach of race official Jock Semple is likely to remember the incredible resistance she met when she registered and ran the race (he famously yelled after her: “Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers.”) Then, the concept of female distance running was so foreign, the race didn’t even have a women’s division (Switzer registered under the name K.V. Switzer, and was never asked to specify her gender on the forms); now, women comprise more than half of all participants in 5-Ks, 10-Ks, and half-marathons, and come close in marathons. More »

Finding Ultra: From Overweight And Unhappy To Being An Elite (Vegan) Athlete

Finding Ultra: From Overweight And Unhappy To Being An Elite (Vegan) Athlete

If Rich Roll‘s before and after photos don’t capture your attention, his story of going from overweight and unhhealthy to becoming an elite (and much happier) athlete will. Laid out in his new book, Finding Ultra, Roll’s transformation isn’t just impressive on a physical level (although his completion of five Ironman-distance triathlons within one week is astonishing); it’s also inspiring to anyone who feels stuck in a rut, as he did just six years ago. More »

‘Running Ultramarathons Gave Me Hemorrhoids. I Can’t Wait For The Next One.’

'Running Ultramarathons Gave Me Hemorrhoids. I Can't Wait For The Next One.'

When a friend put me in touch with ultramarathon-runner Zandy Mangold, I thought we’d talk about life lessons, shin splints, and maybe some bloody toenails. I didn’t think we’d end up talking about hemorrhoids. But Zandy, a New York City-based photographer who moonlights as a serious runner with three ultras under his belt (and several marathons, or “sprints” as he calls them), wants more people to know about the painful condition that he says he could have avoided had he been told about the risks prior to his last, 150-mile race in Chile. But even more surprising than hearing about his hemorrhoids was hearing that, despite the crippling pain he’s endured, he has no plans to stop traveling the world for races most people consider crazy. More »

Back To Fitness: Why Everyone Should Run A Marathon

Back To Fitness: Why Everyone Should Run A Marathon

Running 26.2 miles will make your feet scream in pain; it will give you blisters the size of Texas; it will cause you to chafe in places you didn’t even know existed; your legs will beg for mercy; you will curse the person who talked you into doing this; you will suffer gut-wrenching fatigue; and you will likely hate yourself and every single person around you at some point. And this is exactly why everyone should run a marathon. More »

Weird Health Trend: Marathons, Starring Junk Food

Weird Health Trend: Marathons, Starring Junk Food

I love festive 5ks and big-city races; even more so if they promise specialty snacks and drinks afterward. Bagels and donuts aren’t part of my regular diet repertoire, but I feel entitled to a treat or two after working my butt off before most people are awake. But I’m flabbergasted by the latest trend among the running pack: Junk food-laced races and beer-soaked marathons. More »

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