April Running in Europe - Races, Fun Runs, and Charity Events

Spring is officially here, and with the changing of the seasons come some fantastic classics to kick off the running schedule. Below are some of our favorites:

Racing for refreshment at Listrac Medoc

• FRANCE: Just beyond Bordeaux, the tiny village of Listrac Medoc celebrates the new wine season with the Tournee des Cuivers, 8km and 17km races through the village and surrounding vineyards. That dark red liquid on offer at aid stations? Not Gatorade. Sunday, April 3rd.

• SCOTLAND: A troubling weather forecast has this run is on the ropes, but runners who enter an event called The Great Glen Death March rarely expect a walk in the sun. Twenty-four hours, 100 km, a traverse of Scotland from west to east on one of its more storied trails. Earn your whiskey the old-fashioned way on April 3rd.

• NETHERLANDS: No hills on this course! The second and third-fastest marathons ever were run in Rotterdam, and in the 30th Fortis Rotterdam Marathon you too can try to add your name to history. Good luck! We will cheer you from the sidelines with a Stella in hand. Marathon, 10K. Sunday, April 11. 

Celebrating setting records at the Rotterdam Marathon

• IRELAND: The Great Ireland Run takes place on Sunday, April 18. 10K.Bring the whole family to enjoy the festivities at Phoenix Park - there's also a 2.5k fun run for the kids. 

• UK: Get out of the city and check out the Lake District trails in the Hawkshead Trail Race. Runners World readers voted this one of the top-10 runs you can do on the Island. Saturday, April 24. 15K.

• GERMANY: We've had enough hamburger and frankfurter jokes, so save your breath for the Mobel Kraft Hamburg Marathon. An awesome spring marathon in this incredible running city. Saturday, April 25th. 

Reckon That Runner's Running From Sheep - Answer

Upon further prodding, Casey revealed an excellent, non-sheep-related reason for being on the move in this photo. "The route we were following was from a collection of 'weekend pub walks', if I remember correctly," he said. This shot was taken on the Hever to Lehigh path in Kent, just south of London.

At Blaze we get lots of questions about why one people might run when they travel. Casey's "Reckon" reminds me of a completely relevant, although not-always mentioned, reason for doing so. Many pub-crawling travelers I have surveyed confess to having been swept from a crawl to a walk to a run to a sprint by the time they reach pubs 4-5. This arises out of a myriad of factors, which often involve starting said pub crawl too late, spending too much time at the first pubs, and drinking with a band of competitive people who are determined to hit every single drinking establishment they can before closing time (See "Edinburgh - July 2002"). Therefore, when you are home and especially when you are traveling, it is important to ensure your body can meet the demands that such endeavors may require of it. 

Thanks for the submission, Casey!

Dorigiye Druzya, Moyi

The 2008 Moscow Marathon passing in front of St. Basils and the Kremlin, not far from this morning's attacks 

You have to take the Metro to get to any of Moscow's great runs, but runners make up a minority of the underground trains' passengers. This is particularly true of chast' pik, the rush hour, when the 20+ million inhabitants of this megalopolis embark on their several-hour commute to get from their apartments ringing the edge of town to their workplaces, often on an opposite side of the city. And chances are, these people will have to pass through Lubyanka or Park Kulturi metro stops, two of the busiest in the center of the city.

For that reason, this post is dedicated this morning to our friends on the other side of the Atlantic whose world was rocked by two suicide attacks this morning. Our thoughts, our energy, and our best wishes are with you, and I hope beyond all hope that my teachers, students, and friends are alive and well.

Люблю вас всех - напишите, пожалуйста, чтобы я знала все хорошо!!

Reckon That Runner's Running From Sheep

After all, they are quite the terrifying beasts, are they not?

This week Casey's on the run again, and this time he's attempting to escape the grasp of these white bundles of fluff. But where in the world might he be now? In his submission of this photo, he gave us all a hint when he said "Sure beats the traffic on Oxford Street!"

UK audience, the pressure's on. Guesses go in the "Comments" section below, and the answer will come out on Friday.

Splash Page Up And, Well, Running...

Drum roll please... the release of Blaze Travel Guides website splash page and logo is now.  Check out our splash page/logo and let us know what you think!

www.blazetravelguides.org

Don't Forget The Tissues: Race Etiquette

Blaze Travel Guides lost its race virginity last weekend. The running world as we know it will never be the same. (Okay, enough of the drama)… Taylor and I ran our first race as the Blaze Co-founders in Boulder, Colorado last weekend, and we had some interesting post-race banter about race etiquette. At Blaze, here are a few of our rules of the races:

1. Snot Rockets: A necessary evil. Anyone who has races while recovering from a cold knows that sometimes you just need to blow it out. A simple rule to abide by: look both ways before letting it rip. A fellow racer has every right to throw a bow if you nail them due to negligent nose blowing. And if you’re feeling extremely generous, wait until a moment when the droves spectators are thinning. No need to take down an innocent bystander.

2. Chatting: This is a tricky one. If you’re racing with a friend, you have every right to chat, sing, gossip and discuss. Then again, if no one else is talking, and you’re stuck in a pace group, does everyone else have to listen to your Saturday night war stories? In general, I like to follow the pack. If it’s a particularly quiet race, try to keep the commentary to a minimum. After all, if you have enough energy to recap the frat party, are you sure you’re running hard enough? Then again, if you have something to say- or you’re running with someone you haven’t caught up with in a long time- or you need an amusing story to help carry you through the next few miles- try to keep the volume down.

3. Passing: In a race situation you should stick to the rules of the road. If you’re in the US, passing on the left is the way to go. That said, once you pass, get back in towards the right, so someone could pass you as well. It’s just plain old rude to take up the left lane, and expect people to move around you!

4. Racing: If you find yourself playing leap frog with a fellow competitor try to keep the testosterone (men AND ladies) to a minimum. Racing doesn’t have to be mean-spirited. A good way to flex your racing muscle while still keeping the competition friendly is to smile and drop a “you sure are pushing me!” while you pass the slow-poke (on his left). A friendly “great race! Thanks for the push” is always a nice way to compliment your adversary upon whooping up.

5. Running to the finish line – AGAIN: What do you do if you finished the race and you want to go back and help your friend? Take this advice with a grain of salt (or a drop of sweat), but I am a strong believer in going back to help a friend. As long as you know the friend racing would not construe your presence as mockery, go back and lend a figurative hand. Just DON’T RECROSS THE FINISH LINE. Finish lines are meant to be crossed once. Try to ditch out of the race before rehashing your glory moment (and stealing it from your friend).

Please, let us know your thoughts on these issues by commenting below!

Marathon Running - An American Thing?

Part of our work at BTG - Running The World involves breaking down stereotypes about just who runs in this world. For example, Kate and I often encounter the assumption that the typical runner is a mid-30s American male professional who's more about getting miles under his feet rather than mistresses in his . . . but that's another story.

And it's not even true one. According to RunningUSA's 2009 State of the Sport report, American running demographics are split pretty evenly. 48% of weekly runners have xx chromosomes, while 53% of running event participants - and finishers - are women. The average age for these "core" women long-distance runners is 39.4. Their preferred race distance? Half-marathons.

When it comes to the international side of things, there is some surprising news to be found too. Of the world's six largest marathons in 2009, only two - New York and Chicago - took place on American soil. The REAL Berlin Marathon was the second-largest in the world, with 35,746 participants, and it was followed closely by Flora London with 34,603. Paris and Tokyo rounded out this elite racing class with approximately 28,000 and 26,000 participants, respectively. And, with over 37,000 participants already registered for its April 2010 extravaganza, it looks like Paris has gained a second wind and is looking to gain the title of the largest race in the world. 

Anyway. All this is to say that, the next time someone tells you that running is something that overactive good ol' boys do, just nod and smile. The universe is far wider than our views of it, and individuals of all backgrounds, races, and nationalities are aware that the best way to check it out is by foot.  At a steady pace. For several kilometers at a time.

Photo courtesy of http://cavallimarini.wordpress.com

Women on the Run

Back in November, I had the privilege of listening in on a women's running presentation by Barb Galloway. She told some fantastic stories of trying to pave the way for women runners back in the 1970's. Between anecdotes of running in cut-off jean shorts and no-support Keds, she had her audience in stitches. The point of the talk though, was that women running is still a relatively new phenomena - and one in which there are still many strides to take.  

Two kick-ass contemporary chicas at the end of the Marine Corps Marathon.

March 8 is International Women's day, and BTG would like to take this moment to acknowledge all our female forerunners. Not only have Kate and I grown up in a world full of womens' running clothes, womens' running shoes, and long-distance running races in which women make up the majority of entrants (52% in 2009), but we've grown up in an environment where there was never a question about our physical capability to chase our own dreams. As we BLAZE a running trail around the world starting this July, we do so with full awareness of how hard women before us have struggled to get us to the starting line. We set off confident we won't let them down.

Happy Diva Day to all you women and men out there. Guys, take the time to buy your gals something special today - like a new pair of running shoes. With the coming of spring comes the beginning of running season. Flowers will wilt and chocolate will get eaten, but a good pair of trainers are a gal's best friend*. And it's time for all of us to lace up and go.




*That is, for about 300 miles or so

March Running in Europe - Races, Fun Runs, and Charity Events

March comes in like a lion, so strap on your running shoes and get ready to lead the pride. The days are getting longer and warmer, and the weekends more full of fun running events to choose from. Below are some of our European favorites:

Photo from http://lsehealthblog.wordpress.com 

• FRANCE: Le Semi de Paris has changed its date from Sunday March 14 to Sunday March 7, but the 13.1 mile course through the heart of the city is still guaranteed to be memorable. Half-Marathon.
• ITALY: If you prefer to run half-marathons with a mountainous backdrop, the Laggo Maggiore Half Marathon is also being held on March 7. Or check out the Stramilano, one of Italy's most famous halves, which will be held on March 21. Both courses is reputed to be one of the fastest in Italy, making your arrival at post-run pizza happen that much sooner. Laggo Maggiore - Half-Marathon; Stramilano - Half-Marathon, 10K, 
• MONACO: Running through Monaco is one of the few affordable options for seeing the country, and the Monaco Half-Marathon on Sunday, March 21 is a great way to check it out with your running fellows. Half-marathon, 10K.
• PORTUGAL: Over 30,000 runners participated in the 2009 Lisbon Half Marathon, and 2010 is expected to be a similarly phenomenal show. Sunday, March 21 - Half-Marathon, Mini-Marathon (7.2 K).