Can a group of marathoners run down a pronghorn?

OutsideOnline.com posted a really interesting article detailing what happens when you put the theory of persistence hunting (when groups of people capture and kill herd animals by running them to exhaustion) to the test today.  Nine elite marathoners gathered together in New Mexico to see if they could run down a pronghorn.

From the article:

Through the binoculars I see them: nine tiny men in bright jerseys running in formation across the vast short-grass prairie of eastern New Mexico. They’re chasing a tawny pronghorn antelope through the crackling stalks of late summer’s fading wild sunflowers. The buck weighs about 130 pounds, like the men racing after it, but that’s about the only thing they have in common.

The pronghorn is the second-fastest animal on earth, while the men are merely elite marathon runners who are trying to verify a theory about human evolution. Some scientists believe that our ancestors evolved into endurance athletes in order to hunt quad­rupeds by running them to exhaustion. If the theory holds up, the antelope I’m watching will eventually tire and the men will catch it. Then they’ll have to decide whether to kill it for food or let it go.

Read full article >

Local film-maker Casey Neistat was commissioned by Nike to make a film while training for the New York Marathon. The short film explores the mind games runners play with themselves.

World Run Day, an international annual event that promotes running and its health benefits as well as charitable giving, will occur this year on November 7.

To participate, people are encouraged to run their own course that day either individually or in groups and to donate to charities.  You can also register on their website, runday.com and get a t-shirt and bib for the event.

Ryan Hall around mile 20 of the Boston Marathon.

See more photos of the elite runners of 2010′s Boston Marathon on our Facebook page here.

In a matter of moments the jogger was blo0dy and unconscious on the ground.

He was roused by a passing motorist and taken to the hospital. He ended up with a black eye and a tetanus shot as souvenirs of his encounter.

When asked if he’d be running there again, Striegl replied yes, but probably with some friends from work.

For the full story visit News.com.au.

The Striders are currently having their annual membership drive. To join the club, download the membership application here. A yearly membership costs $15.

Their next event is the Tommy Toy Fund Fun Run, a 1.5 mile fun run with Santa starting at Billy Wilson’s in Norwich. The event takes place Friday, December 4, at 7pm and collects toys for needy children for Christmas.

The event raised money for the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund. Mountain gorillas are currently in extreme danger of becoming extinct.

For more info: 10connects.com

One of the runners wore a pair of black compression shorts under his running shorts. At issue was the white stitching visible on the shorts. This violated Rule 9, Section 6, Article 1b of the National Federation of High Schools rule book, which states: “Items displaying seams stitched on the outside of the garment in a visible contrasting color to the undergarment will be illegal beginning with the 2009-10 school year.”

The situation must have been a huge disappointment to the runners.

Source: The Baltimore Sun

This past weekend at the Des Moines Marathon, runners faced an unusual challenge, a train. Simon Sawe was leading the race with four hundred meters left when his path was suddenly blocked by a crossing train. After 10 seconds the runner in second caught up, then the runner in third, and so on, until a group of runners stood waiting for the train to pass. So the 26.2 mile race, which seemed in the bag for Sawe, came down to a 400 meter sprint to the finish once the train passed.

Luckily for Sawe, he was a 1500 m specialist before turning to marathons and was able to regain a lead in the final sprint. He won the race and the 3000 purse.

Read the whole story and see additional photos at The Des Moines Register.

The rule banning electronic devices has been debated by runners since its inception. The USA Track and Field has relaxed the rule to make enforcement at the discretion of race officials.

For the full story, visit the Journal Sentinel.