Extra, Extra, Run All About It!! The Week in Running: 7/05-7/12

Dear readers, let's take a look back at the week in running:

* As reported on Autoblog.com on July 6th, this year's Goodwood Festival Of Speed, an annual festival featuring historic motor racing vehicles competing in a hill climb race on the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England and organized by sports scientists at the Porsche Human Performance Centre, was a record setting festival indeed. While vehicular competitions are usually the focal point of the Festival, this year, many watched in awe as 12 runners, aided by special Adidas running shoes, set a new world record for the longest distance covered over 48 hours on a treadmill. With each runner running a 45-mile shift at an average speed of 11.3 mph, the group completing a jaw-dropping 539.86 miles last weekend. While Porsche is known mostly for their small, sleek and sexy 911 coupe, they firmly believe that, in the words of Andy Goss, Managing Director of Porsche Cars GB, "the most important component of the car is the driver, and the Human Performance laboratory advises drivers on optimising their own endurance levels whether on the road or race circuit".


* As reported on ABCNews.net.au (Australia) on July 8th, a horse trainer was injured on a treadmill at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse after he slipped and fell. However, it was not he who was actually engaged in any running. Rather, his injury occurred while he was leading a horse off of its equestrian treadmill and, after he slipped on the machine, the horse proceeded to topple over and fall on the trainer's chest. I have written about equestrian treadmills in the past and, not once, has the story ever ended with anything but something having gone wrong. When will people understand that treadmills simply weren't built for horses!

* As reported on CommunityNewswire.com on July 10th, possibly in an effort to help create a healthier traffic flow in the streets of London, Three2go has set up a 5K race reserved only for London cab drivers dubbed the Cabbies On The Run. On September 12th, Three2go is holding three races, the East London Trail Marathon, a 5K and a 1K, in the Lee Valley and Hackney Marshes inspired by the annual countdown to the 2012 Olympic Games and will have a designated wave in the 5K just for taxi drivers. Cab drivers who sign up for the race will be weighed in and given a nine-week training program to prepare for the 5k run. I wonder how many of those cab drivers who participate in the Cabbies On The Run will take a taxi home upon completion of the race!

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Next Weekend's Marathons

Saturday, July 18th
University Of Okoboji Marathon (Okoboji, IA)

Sunday, July 19th
Friendly Massey Marathon (Massey, ON)