In its traditional spot, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the 2006 JFK 50 Mile Race gets underway in the early hours of Saturday, November 18. Again this year, the race has been granted permission to use the beautiful Appalachian Trail.

The race starts in Main Street, Washington County - Hagerstown, MD, US and there is a nice Google map of the course provided by USA Track and Field.

Recognized as major contributors to environmental and outdoor causes, Chaco and Rock Creek Outfitters have announced an inititiative to secure permanent access to and ownership of Boat Rock, a woodland area inside the metro of Atlanta with more than a half mile of unique egg shaped granite boulders, one of the prime bouldering areas in the Southeast U.S.

Boat Rock has long been threatened by development, but with continued effort from the SCC and local citizens, the area is now a community park and green space. Currently, $12,000 remains to be paid on the mortgage, and many are working to make the final payments against the note.

For every pair of custom Chaco Performance Sandals purchased during the 2006 Triple Crown Bouldering Series, Rock Creek and Chaco will donate $20 toward the purchase of Boat Rock. The custom Chaco Sandals will be available for purchase through Rock Creek Outfitters’ website, RockCreek.com, and displayed at each venue of the Triple Crown Bouldering Series.

The three-part series kicks off October 7 at Hound Ears in Boone, NC, moves on in November, to Horse Pens-40 in Steele, AL, and concludes in December, at The Stone Fort in Chattanooga, TN.

In 2005, a similar effort from Chaco, Rock Creek and The Triple Crown raised over $4,000 toward the purchase of Laurel Knob, a 1,200 ft. granite dome in Cashiers Valley located in the Highlands of North Carolina. Once threatened by development, Laurel Knob, renowned as the tallest crag east of the Mississippi River, is now owned by the Carolina Climbers' Coalition and is open to hiking and rock climbing.

The American Discovery Trail (ADT) is the only coast-to-coast, non-motorized recreational trail for hiking, biking, riding. 6,800+ miles of continuous, multi-use trail, which stretches from Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware, to Pt. Reyes National Seashore, California and provides trail users the opportunity to journey into the heart of American culture, heritage, landscape and spirit.

It incorporates trails designed for hiking, bicycle and equestrian use, connecting five national scenic and 10 national historic trails, 23 national recreational trails, and many other local and regional trails; the ADT passes through metropolitan areas like San Francisco and Cincinnati, traces numerous pioneer trails, leads to 14 national parks, 16 national forests and is said to visit more than 10,000 sites of historic, cultural and natural significance.

Several people have and are hiking the whole length of the trail, go to the ADT website for links to their blogs and journals; the site also features a state by state directory, maps and picture gallery.

The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon; it is regarded as one of the world's most prestigious road races and this year celebrates its 110th anniversary.

Since its inception, the Boston Marathon has been held on the U.S. holiday commemorating Patriots' Day, which is Monday, April 17, 2006.

John A. Kelley, completed an incredible 58 Boston Marathons between 1928 and 1992. Kelley was not only a two-time winner but he also finished second a record seven times and recorded 18 finishes in the top 10. He completed his last marathon in Boston at the age of 84.

If you find that an inspiration and you want to get started on marathons, the sixth annual B.A.A. Half Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 8, 2006. Registration opens in the summer.

The United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA) has an online calendar, with details of races organized throughout the US in 2006. Sanctioned events that are posted to the USARA calendar are used in calculating the USARA National Rankings.

The USARA Adventure Race National Championships , will be held in Southern California, November 3 and 4, 2006.

Teresa Smith, Northern Indiana's Times-Union Staff Writer has written an interesting insight into the world of adventure racing; Adventure Racers Gear Up For Season (01-16-2006).

The article begins,'They appear normal' and ends with a quote from adventure racing enthusiast Troy Hershberger, 'We're successful if we've done everything right and to the best of our ability.'; in between you get to realize why adventure racing is one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

BMO Bank of Montreal has made a five-year commitment with the Vancouver International Marathon Society (VIMS) to become the title sponsor for the Vancouver Marathon, beginning with the 2006 Marathon on Sunday, May 7.

Since its inception in 1972, the Vancouver Marathon has continually grown, evolving from a small community event into Canada’s largest marathon, with over 15,000 participants. It is also one of Vancouver's most anticipated outdoor sporting and wellness events with 50,000 spectators in 2005.

Associated events, May 4 to May 7, 2006, include a Healthy Nutrition and Wellness Expo at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, a Friendship Run and Flag Raising Ceremony, plus a Westcoast Salmon BBQ and Pasta Party for Marathon entrants.

Registration and volunteer information from the VIMS web site above.