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Some highlights of the best in world at running!

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Different details from running adventures in different parts of the world.

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I've been a dedicated runner for about five years now, and a casual one for several years before that. I find that running is the best overall exercise I can do, and the minimalist in me enjoys the fact that running is very low-tech.

All you need are some decent running shoes - no fancy equipment or nice clothes are necessary. I like to listen to music when I run, but other than an iPod shuffle, I don't take anything with me.

So far I've ran four half-marathons and three full marathons, including one self-created event on a cruise ship in Alaska last year. Some of the places that I've most enjoyed running are listed below.

Cape Town, South Africa - My all-time favorite city for running is Cape Town, although I was dealing with my first running injury for most of the three weeks I was there in 2005. While living in East London for several months beforehand, I started running at least 4-5 miles a day with too few rest days during the week. After setting in Cape Town's amazing waterfront area, I had to stop running for about 10 days after a guy in a shoe store diagnosed my problem as minor ITB syndrome. I was better after a while, although I only ran short distances for the rest of my Cape Town stay. Regardless, the city and ocean view were absolutely beautiful.

Budapest, Hungary - My first major solo trip took me to Budapest by way of Benin, and then down to Johannesburg, South Africa. I stayed in the city for three days before continuing on to Bratislava and Prague by train. While I was there, I stayed on the Pest side of the divided city, and I enjoyed running up and down the hills and across the bridge to the more frequently visited Buda side.

Cadiz, Spain - My second all-time favorite running city. I trained for my first half-marathon in Cadiz in the summer of 2003, the same summer that 37,000 Europeans died from a massive heat wave. Running in Cadiz was about like running in West Africa, except the sun didn't go down until 9:00 p.m. If it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not. I loved it there, and enjoyed it even more when I went to England for the Windsor Half Marathon. After all the training in the heat, I had a much better time than expected.

San Juan, Puerto Rico - In December 2005, I ran along the pier where the cruise ships docked, before going on my own first cruise as part of a vacation before going back to Africa. Every day for the next week while we were traveling, I tried to run at least three miles at every port stop. I succeeded four out of five times, in Aruba, the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, and on the ship's jogging track outside of Grenada. That gave me the inspiration to think about running a longer event a couple of years later, when I went to Alaska on a different vacation.

(A brief side note: while on the jogging track that day, I was amazed to see another passenger smoking a cigarette while walking briskly around the track. That guy is either very committed to smoking or very committed to exercise, I remember thinking.)

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - Actually, this is a terrible running city. I include it here not because it's one of my favorites but because it's certainly one of the most memorable. In Saigon, as most people call the city, the traffic consists of literally hundreds of thousands of motorbikes that are largely unlicensed and seemingly unpoliced. Your best bet for running in Saigon is to head for the river, where your chances of being hit by a motorbike fall to a more reasonable 50%. Watch this video to get an idea of what it's like.

Tema, Ghana - The last country I lived in before returning to the U.S. was Ghana, and I spent the last three weeks of our three month stay there without a job. My replacement in the charity I worked for had arrived and taken over during that time, so I attended meetings in the morning but was usually free in the afternoons. I began the initial training for my first marathon in Tema, running 6-10 miles at a time twice a week outside the port. It was beautiful, and it was hot-but I usually didn't mind. I had a lot on my mind then, and it was good to spend time outside in the late afternoons to process it all.

After the time in Ghana and some traveling in Southern Africa, I moved to...

Seattle, Washington - My city of residence for more than two years before coming to Portland, I trained for the Seattle Marathon by running around Green Lake during the week and all around the city for long runs on weekends. There are rumors that it rains a lot in Seattle, and a lot of time I didn't mind it... but when I ran for two hours at a time and it never stopped raining, I started feeling like I'd be better off inside.After finishing, though, I always felt better about myself for sticking it out.
Other Spots
When I travel now, I take running shoes with me even though they take up a lot of space in my small carry-on bag.

I've also run in Singapore, Vienna, Brunei, Amsterdam, Guayaquil, Auckland, Phnom Penh, and the list could go on a while.

In Warsaw I had a great two-hour run, only to return to my hotel and realize I had made a big mistake on my upcoming travel plans.

In Benin I ran for half an hour after calling my dad on Father's Day, leaving coins along the street as I went.

In Pakistan I ran 10k around a track the hotel had installed on the property in a guarded parking lot. It felt a little surreal.

In Bangladesh I wanted to run outside, but the seven million people walking around the dense city made me think twice about that idea.

Most of my serious running (well, somewhat serious - I'm definitely not an ultrarunner) takes place at home, because it's hard to run more than six miles at a time when I'm bouncing around countries on a typical trip. I still enjoy the shorter runs from place to place, and running helps me experience a new place from a different perspective.

My next trip at the end of August will take me to Bhutan, where visitors are expected to be accompanied by a guide for most of their in-country experience. If that turns out to be true, I hope the guide is prepared to do some running! The pair of running shoes I take with me on trips is already in the bag.

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Iranian Runner Image by Hamed Saber

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I've been a dedicated runner for about five years now, and a casual one for several years before that. I find that running is the best overall exercise I can do, and the minimalist in me enjoys the fact that running is very low-tech.

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Literally: running around the world!

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UPDATE (April 9)
Kevin Carr today completed his epic 621-day run around the world and entered the record books as the fastest person to circumnavigate the planet on foot. The 34-year-old returned to his starting point at Dartmoor, England, at around 6.20pm, having run 16,300 miles through 26 countries. During his adventure Kevin has come face-to-face with bears in Canada and packs of wild dogs in Romania. He was twice run over by cars and suffered severe heatstroke in India. In total Kevin wore 16 pairs of inov-8 running shoes as he ran east, heading through continents coast to coast. He averaged more than a marathon a day - and did so unsupported (the first person ever to do this), pushing a cart containing his belongings, food and camping gear for almost the entire adventure. Kevin successfully knocked off about 24 hours from the round-the-world record, set by the Australian runner Tom Denniss in 2013.

During the run Kevin ran through Europe, before flying to India and then onto Australia and New Zealand. He then went to Canada and the United States, before crossing Chile and Argentina. Finally he flew into the west coast of Ireland before arriving back England, via Scotland. Kevin said: "It has been an amazing journey but there's also been quite a few setbacks, which mean that to try and break the record I've been running 46-50 miles each day for the last three weeks. I'm absolutely shattered but delighted!" His run has attracted lots of media interest, especially in the UK.
What follows is his latest blog, written when he returned to the UK for the final leg of his amazing adventure.
I have encountered some pretty scary things along the way, from packs of wild dogs in Romania to the most extreme weather conditions imaginable. Most frightening of all, however, was coming face-to-face with bears in Canada. One of the bears stalked and then actively came for me. I used the bear bangers that someone had given me and, after three misfires, thankfully my fourth attempt sent the bear packing. I've had to endure a lot of suffering too. I had severe heatstroke in India and have twice been hit by cars.

Throughout the journey I have run unsupported, pushing a trailer that contains everything I need to survive, including my trusty tent.

If successful I will gain two world records :
The fastest person to run around the world
2 The first person to run around the world completely self-supported

Canada really took its toll on my body and I was late reaching the US. On top of that, winter arrived two months early. I was faced with temperatures reaching as low as -29 °C. Leaving the warmth of your sleeping bag to go out running in such bitterly cold conditions takes lots of motivation!

I had originally planned to run across to New York and up to Boston, thus ticking off the US. However, an enormous snow dump meant I had no choice but to try and outrun winter by heading south to Florida.

This meant more kilometres overall but I knew I could just about complete it before my visa expired. Things did improve as I ran through the state of Wisconsin. Word spread quickly about what I was doing and I received a lot of press coverage on TV, radio stations and in newspapers. Before I even arrived in a town, people had heard about me and I was warmly welcomed, rather than just being stared at.

In Wisconsin I experienced the most heart-warming hospitality, particularly along the Great River Road. I received so many donations of beds for the night from local hotels, while I was also fed thoroughly and looked after by businesses and individuals alike. I even had the honor of spending Thanksgiving with a lovely family.

I continued south into Illinois, a state in which it seems little money has been spent on infrastructure, hence lots of very dangerous roads. At times I honestly feared for my life -it was unbelievably stressful.

In most of the cities I've run through all across the world there have been streetlights and/or pavements. Not so in Illinois. I attempted to find quieter side roads to run on. This worked some of the time, but more than once I hit an unexpected obstacle or dead-end and had to retrace my steps. In terms of my world run record attempt, the kilometres covered when retracing steps don't count, so it was very frustrating.

Those frustrations were alleviated by the kindness of people I met along the way in Illinois. With camping not easy -most of the land is private and the majority of households own a gun -I was given shelter in a variety of places, including churches and fire stations.

With the task of finding suitable roads becoming increasingly time consuming, I decided to follow the underground railroad -a network of secret routes used by 19th century runaway slaves.

Although not much better, these roads were the best of a bad bunch. It wasn't until I got to Florida that the road situation improved. However, it was then that I was struck down with a bad case of flu. I spent four days in bed, just about muscling up the strength to go and find something to eat. My time was spent watching mind-numbing TV -not easy when I'm used to running on the open road everyday! I was also well aware that the clock on the world record was ticking.

Once I got back on the road I began to gradually rack up the kilometres once again. Then I was hit with another setback when I realised my visa was due to expire in three days, rather than the six I had allowed for. My mistake was that I had calculated the expiry at three months, rather than 90 days. This meant I had 305km to run but only three-and-a-half days in which to do it. The pressure was really on. I had to get to the Atlantic coast of Jacksonville and then to the airport to catch my flight to Santiago, Chile. Thankfully I made it.

I then hit South America and knowing what lay ahead was the 50 biggest days of my life.

The run across the continent of South America was tough but I knew a flight back to the UK was the reward at the end of it, so I pushed myself hard. Indeed one of the real highlights of the journey came in South America when I ran at 12,000ft up over The Andes mountains. it was spectacular.

I can't begin to explain the huge mental strength that this run has required. It has exhausted me mentally but in many ways it has also made me stronger. I continue to try and focus on the things that make me feel grateful and calm. I can't achieve my world record dream.

Throughout my epic adventure I have worn a variety of inov-8 shoes, including the ROCLITE, TRAILROC, RACE ULTRA, OROC and F-LITE ensuring I have been able to run confidently over all terrains.

* Follow Kevin's progress on his website at hardwayround.com

* Kevin is sponsored by private investment company Cocoon Wealth and is completing this incredible endurance run for two charities -British Red Cross and Sane.

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Kevin Carr - Fastest Person To Run Around The World

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UPDATE (April 9) Kevin Carr today completed his epic 621-day run around the world and entered the record books as the fastest person to circumnavigate the planet on foot. The 34-year-old returned to his starting point at Dartmoor, England, at around 6.20pm, having run 16,300 miles through 26 countries.

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General overview.

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The History of Running: A Brief Introduction | Rockay

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Millions of people run without a destination. They do it just for the love of running. But why? The history of running offers us some valuable insights.

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The History of Running: A Brief Introduction

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In reference to running as a sport

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Hits: 512

The history of running - as an activity - would be quite interesting to discuss. Unless we define it a bit further, talking about the history of running would be the same as talking about the history of breathing or eating. However, if we're talking about the history of running as a recreational activity, there's much more structure to the matter.

Running, as a sport, supposedly originated in ancient Greece, around 2,700 years ago. The first-ever recorded recreational run was actually a sprint from one side of the Olympic Games arena to the other. That said, let's see how this sport evolved further throughout history.

The early days

As mentioned earlier, it's almost impossible to track through history the very beginnings of this sport. However, way back in the 16 th century there appear to be mentions of jogging. Jogging was commonly practiced by swordsmen as a form of pre-battle training. This is also the first time we actually see running used as an integral part of a regular training routine. Nowadays, modern runners have moved far away from their ancestors. While running still makes a huge part of workout routines, modern runners get to enjoy far more perks. The gear used for running has evolved significantly since its early days. So, now, you can even find excellent winter running jackets , which is certainly not something aforementioned soldiers and swordsmen were able to enjoy.

Moving more towards the present, running and jogging became integral parts of so many athlete's workout routines. The numerous benefits running brings were becoming increasingly recognized. What's more, running became a discipline on its own in the modern Olympics back in 1896. Additionally, in 1897 the Boston Marathon was born. That led to a huge boost in popularity we can still see to this day. What's also interesting to note is the fact that running used to be a male-only sport, which is not so surprising considering the fact that women entered the sports scene in its entirety a bit later. Nowadays, running and jogging are not just considered sports. To some, they present a form of mental therapy. To others, they are a great socializing tool.

Here, the first year worth mentioning is 1909. This was the year that marked the beginning of the so-called marathon mania. In America, the first five ever marathons to be held in New York were all held on days of great significance. This is presumed to stem from the fact that games - and particularly the Olympic Games - were held in honor of the gods. Throughout history, you can come across various similar events in many other nations. Then we move onto the running boom of the 70s where nearly twenty-five million people became hobby runners. In 1984, women were finally able to enter the running scene.

As we all know, running is still a very popular sport. With 715 marathons scheduled in the US alone, it becomes quite clear that the popularity of this sport is far from diminishing. Moreover, you may have also noticed that the modern market is anything but lacking in innovative solutions and gadgets designed for runners specifically. What this means is that running is no longer treated solely as a sport. Instead, it practically became a well-developed industry.

Even though running as we know it today is quite different from what it was in the early days, it is still one of the favorite recreational activities. And by tracking its evolution and growth throughout history, it's safe to assume that it will stay popular for many years to come.

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The History of Running as a Sport and Recreation

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Hits: 512 The history of running - as an activity - would be quite interesting to discuss. Unless we define it a bit further, talking about the history of running would be the same as talking about the history of breathing or eating.

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Specific feedback in written form.

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Proper Running Form: Tips and Techniques to Run Better

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Proper running form can help you run faster, longer, and avoid injury. We’ll go through some tips and techniques to get started.

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More details, but in video format.

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Proper Running Form | Cadence, Foot Strike & Posture

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A goofy example of running in animation - the fun behind running!

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Fun Run | Regular Show | Minisode | Cartoon Network