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Last month Marlborough was a happy hunting ground for Nelson’s Richard Ussher as he took out the national rogaine title in the Awatere Valley.

This weekend he will look to add a second major title when he contests the inaugural Mission Marlborough Adventure Race.

The three-day event started from Picton this morning and will see the 22 competitors run, cycle, mountainbike and kayak their way around Picton and the Marlborough Sounds.

The event is part of a series of races organised by multisport legend Nathan Fa’avae’s company Mission Events.

“It’s a pretty low turnout and I’m a little disappointed. But it’s the inaugural event and it was only launched about six months ago so a lot of people would had already made a commitment somewhere else,” Fa’avae said.

Marlborough’s usually enthusiastic multisport community are noticeable by their absence, without a single local in the field.

Read the rest at The Marlborough Express

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High school coaches for the major sports, basketball, baseball and football, love it when their athletes compete in track & field, and for a very good reason. Track & field builds speed, endurance and strength, perfect for carrying over into the major sports. And, the benefits are even greater when that athlete begins competing in track & field at a younger age.

Now, the youth of Cocke County will have that opportunity with the formation of the Cocke County Middle School Track & Field Team.

“It’s an excellent way for kids who participate in other sports to work on their speed and endurance, and it’s fun,” said the Team’s founder and Coach Mark Hawk. “I think the kids will benefit from enjoying something new.”

“We’re looking forward to working with many of our youth, and helping them develop as athletes.”

Read the rest at Cocke County Online

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Please don’t think that the irony escapes me as I write about snowshoeing during record-setting winter warmth. There’s not a snowflake in sight.

But with an every-other-week seasonal schedule for this column, the time is now or never to talk about snowshoe races, qualifying rounds, the Empire State Winter Games and the U.S. national snowshoe championships.

Once upon a time, snowshoeing was the practical transportation means of hunters, hut-to-hut hikers and search and rescue teams. But snowshoeing is currently enjoying a booming sporty status as the frosty kissing cousin of running.

The Northeast, and Central New York in particular, have caught up with the snowshoeing rage experienced a decade earlier by our west coast counterparts in the mountainous states.

As you will learn here, there’s a blizzard of snowshoe races and festivals all over New York. Take a look at my bi-weekly running calendar.

You’ll find up-to-date snowshoe racing opportunities — long and short — qualifying rounds, and off-beat runs including a 6-hour snowshoe ultra, and a 24-hour loop-de-loop.

Read the rest at The Ithaca Journal

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STRONG QUADRICEPS — muscles at the front of the thigh — are a must for anyone who wants to fly downhill on skis, attempt a double axel on skates or scale a mountain by foot or by bike. These muscles do more than help you straighten your legs and stand; they’re integral in everything from walking to high jumping.

But they might have special importance for people with knee osteoarthritis.

A recent study of people with the condition found that those who had stronger quadriceps had less cartilage loss behind the kneecap. Less cartilage loss can mean better range of motion and less discomfort.

“Although this was not an exercise study, our results suggest (exercise) is beneficial for the knees, especially the knee joints,” said Dr. Shreyasee Amin of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, lead author of the study. “Other studies have shown that it can help with decreasing pain and improving function

Read the rest at Inside Bay Area

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With 1,336 steps to be climbed all the way to the top of Southeast Asia’s tallest hotel, the Swissotel Vertical Marathon takes competitors to new heights of endurance.

It was a daunting sight – 73 storeys to be climbed to the rooftop, all adding up to a vertical distance of 226 metres.

With the top prize being a trip to New York to participate in the prestigious but more daunting 102-storey Empire State Building Run-up, participants were very energetic in the beginning.

But while many still managed a big smile, the feet slowed down considerably past the midway mark.

Among them was Tan Soo Cheng, who at 79 years old, was the oldest participant in the race.

But he was no shirker as he had been doing this since the start of annual event five years ago.

Each participant took an average of 15 to 20 minutes to complete the race, with the widest smiles reserved for the moment they neared the 73rd floor.

But there was no beating that top-of-the-world feeling as they emerged into the light at the rooftop and a breath-taking view of the country.

Over a thousand local and international participants took part in the vertical marathon.

Read the rest at Channelnewsasia.com

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