Marathon run across Sahara

Three men, American Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab from Canada and Kevin Lin from Taiwan, have run 7,500 km (4,700 miles) across the Sahara Desert in an effort to draw attention to the lack of access to water in many countries they crossed. They left the Atlantic Coast on November 2, 2006 and ran through Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya and Egypt.

Two off-road vehicles loaded with fuel and water accompanied them but Engle told Reuters in a telephone interview, that they did not cheat. "Never once did we get into a vehicle or ride an animal," he said, adding that he found the Tenere Desert stretch in Niger to be the most memorable of the places they visited, "It was just fantastic, massive sand dunes and true peace and quiet. I think that was my favourite."

US Adventure Racing Association Events 2007

The 2007 calendar of United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA) sanctioned races is available online. Sanctioned events are used in calculating the USARA National Rankings.

2006 Final rankings are:

1. Mighty Dog, Georgia 561 points


2. Enduraventure, Georgia 478 points


3. HART/Hammer Nutrition, Texas 359 points


4. Eastern Mountain Sports, Massachusetts 316 points


5. GOALS ARA, Pennsylvania 308 points


6. Checkpoint Zero, Georgia 273 points


7. Thoughtprocess.net/Alpine Shop, Missouri 238 points


8. Lab Rats, Arkansas 221 points


9. Backpacker/Bicycle Shop, Louisiana 201 points


10. GoLite/Timberland Sprint, Colorado 200 points

First up in 2007 is the Odyssey One Day Xtreme and 2007 USARA National Championship Qualifier at Natural Bridge, Virginia, on Jan 13 - Jan 14

Odyssey Adventure Racing is celebrating its tenth year and besides organizing competitive events, also have an Adventure Racing Academy and Leadership Training facility, for those who are new to the sport or those who want to further develop their skills.

JFK 50 Mile Race 2006

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.

Boat Rock Bouldering

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.

Adventure Racing World Championship 2006

The 2006 edition of the Adventure Racing World Championship, August 16-23, 2006, will be staged in nearly 22 hours of daylight, an abundance of wilderness, and an exceptional variety of terrain.

Starting in Hemavan/Tärnaby in Sweden, a ski resort in the north west of Sweden, it will pass Mo iRana in Norway. This part of the world is renowned for its wilderness, with breathtaking views, strikingly beautiful fjords in the North Sea, fed from untamed white-water rivers originating at the base of spectacular glaciers and caves that have survived the Ice Age.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the weather in August is similar to the weather in the Northern United States (South of Canada), such as Maine or Washington State, the snow is generally gone in the mountains and snow levels on the glaciers are
at their lowest.

American Discovery Trail

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.

Boston Marathon 2006

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.