Latest news with #running
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
I tried the unusual ‘midnight race' where the sun never sets – along with insane whale-watching and thermal baths
THE sun beams down on me as I run along the path. It's a beautiful running track, a little stream gurgles to my left, purple flowers and gorgeous greenery standing out against the bright blue sky as I sweat it out along with 2,500 other runners. 3 3 I look down at my watch to check my pace and notice the time – 10.30pm. Hang on. My bedtime is 10pm, what am I doing? I should explain. I'm in Iceland, where in the summer, there is almost 24 hours of sunlight every day. As a keen runner, I signed up to the Suzuki Midnight run to take on the summer solstice challenge and I'm in good company with more than 2,600 fellow runners. I meet a self-described 'little old lady' from Canada who wanted to explore Iceland for her 70th birthday and take on the run, an Aussie couple lining up for their race photo and a gaggle of Irish women who are raising cash for a pal with cancer. I've elected to do the 10km but you can sign up to the 5km or even push yourself to complete the 21km. And while I'm normally a morning runner, there's something fun about taking on this midnight challenge. As the race gun goes off, I soak up the sunshine and the gorgeous views. Afterwards, I'm met with an electrolyte drink and medal, and I'm swept up in the crowd of locals heading straight to the thermal pools to soak their tired muscles. Iceland also has plenty of other activities for any non-runners, thanks to its jaw-dropping nature. Martin Lewis warns about strict passport rule that could see you board your flight - only to get sent home on arrival The afternoon before the race, I spent two hours whale watching, spotting humpbacks and minkes. Gearing up in a thick red suit and strapping on a life vest, I jump onto the RIB. Soon, we're heading out on to the open Atlantic. Suddenly, our boat veers to the left – our skipper has spotted something. The boat's engine is cut and the air is still with anticipation. 'Fwissshhhhhh'. Everyone jumps at the sound and turns to the right – there a massive humpback whale has breached out of the water, rolling its body along the surface. 3 It circles the boat, breaking the surface of the water several times until, with a final flick of its tail, it disappears into the depths. We spend two hours out on the water, spotting half a dozen humpbacks and even an elusive minke on the trip. We are also delighted to spot hundreds of puffins flying around a small island off the coast of Iceland's capital. It's a world away from the UK, despite being just a three-hour flight from London with Play Airlines. Later that night, as I finally drift off to sleep in my hotel room, the sky outside is still bright. My muscles might be a little sore, and my internal clock utterly confused, but it was definitely an adventure worth staying up past my bedtime.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
From shorts to patches – three products that can help motivate you to exercise
EXPERTS recommend doing 150 minutes of physical activity a week – and roughly 28million adults meet this target. The most popular exercise is running, with 40 per cent of people going for a jog at least once a week. But a quarter of adults do less than 30 minutes of activity over seven days. Struggling to get motivated? Today, I look at products that can help . . . SHORTS 3 WEARING the right gear can make the difference. In the heat, the last thing you need are long leggings or shorts that aren't up to the job. These 6in shorts from Bimble & Bolt are my new go-to. Many on the market don't stay up when you've loaded your pockets with phones and keys. These have a drawstring at the waist to help with that. They are said to be high-compression, but I found them just the right snugness and they are very stretchy and soft. As well as two side pockets for phones, they also have a zip at the back. PATCHES YOU'VE got to wonder how these things get dreamed up – but Kind Patches are all the rage. They are little round discs that you bung on your arm or leg, with ingredients that seep into your skin. Get fit at 50: Workouts for beginners and those short on time The brand's energy patches contain vitamins that help convert food into usable energy and a microdose of 3.12mg of caffeine for a boost without overstimulation. They work fast by delivering straight into the bloodstream. They also gradually release the ingredients over about eight hours for a steady boost through the day. A very clever idea. I was sceptical, but they do actually work and I felt energised. But take them off at least a couple of hours before bed or they could keep you awake. From £10.20 for a month's supply, DRINK THESE pre-workout supplements from Swish-Pro come in portable 18.5g sachets and are crammed full of natural compounds that can boost your performance. There is 2.5g of creatine, which is probably the supplement of the moment as people are obsessed with how it can aid strength and explosive power. Other ingredients include 2.5g amino acid beta alanine to help you exercise for longer, 2.6g citrulline malate for blood flow and 1.9g of taurine to support hydration and overall cardiovascular health. You take 30-60 minutes before exercise. The guarana extract and green tea also give a decent natural caffeine dose, but beware, they can play havoc with your stomach, too.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nike's Running Comeback: Why Retailers Say It's Real
Nike chief executive officer Elliott Hill told investors in the company's fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 conference call last month that the worst is now over. Net income and sales both declined again in the period, but based on Nike's 'Win Now' actions over the prior 90 days, Hill said: 'From here, we expect our business results to improve. It's time to turn the page.' Investors agreed, with Nike shares closing with a 15 percent increase the following day. More from WWD Will Smith Mixes Nostalgia With Modern Flair in Custom Air Force 1s on 'Based on a True Story Tour' Stop in Germany Jannik Sinner Wins Wimbledon in Nike's GP Challenge 1 Premium Tennis Shoes Ja Morant's New Sneaker Is Getting a Glow-in-the-Dark 'Zombie' Update for Halloween One spot where the numbers are already showing improvement is in running. Nike Running grew by 'high single digits' in Q4, and Hill called out the success of the Vomero 18, which has already grown into a $100 million franchise after launching at the end of February. Three specialty retailers who spoke with Footwear News all agreed: the Nike Running comeback is very much on. Chris Farley, owner and president of Pacers Running, said Nike is outpacing all of its other vendors, with a 20 percent growth in sales so far in 2025. With five stores in Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia, Pacers has seen the Vomero 18 become its top-seller. The story is the same for Philadelphia Runner and Heartbreak Hill Running Company, which has locations in Boston, Chicago and Santa Monica, Calif. 'I really liked the [Vomero 17], but we did not sell very many of them,' said Philadelphia Runner co-owner Ross Martinson. 'The new Vomeros are the best-selling Nike right away. The problem has been the men's (sizes), we haven't been able to get enough of them. But that's sort of a good problem.' The Vomero 18 has come in the early days of a streamlined new era for Nike Running focused on three franchises: Pegasus, Structure and Vomero. In order, the franchises are targeted toward responsive cushioning, supportive cushioning and maximum cushioning. Each banner gets three different silhouettes, starting with the numbered baseline model and offering upgrades through the Plus and Premium variants. The Pegasus is the only franchise to see all three of its models come to stores already with the Pegasus 41, Pegasus Plus and Pegasus Premium, the latter of which is Nike's first sneaker to ever feature a curved, full-length Zoom Air unit. Nike will follow up the Vomero 18, which uses a combination of ReactX and ZoomX foams, on August 7 with the Vomero Plus, which is boosted by a full ZoomX midsole. The Vomero Premium will then come October 2 with Air Zoom units at the forefoot and heel taking the max-cushioned proposition to the highest level. Heartbreak Hill Running Co. co-founder Dan Fitzgerald, who's also a Nike Running coach, said the Pegasus franchise has always sold well in his stores and credits the Swoosh with creating the super shoe. But outside of those areas, it's been more hit or miss for Nike Running in recent years. Anecdotally, Fitzgerald points to a personal friend who logs 10 miles a day and runs in On. Having enjoyed the Vomero 18 himself, he was curious what his friend would think of it. 'He put them on and he said, 'Yeah it feels pretty good.' Then I hit up a week later and he said: 'I'm actually blown away. That's my favorite shoe.' With only five of the nine sneakers from the Vomero, Pegasus and Structure lines having launched, it's still too early to tell what effect the relaunch will have on consumers. At the very least, though, the new dividing lines does it make it easier for retailers to explain to customers. 'Our staff really dictate the experience on the floor,' Farley said. 'I think [the shoes' purposes] are more clear. A simpler approach has been much better, so they're more comfortable bringing out, talking about features, benefits and all those things where they may not have been as clear in the past.' The new silos serve to replace the Infinity and Invincible, the purposes of which weren't quite as clear and were easy to conflate with each other because they have 'In' as prefixes. There is still some concern that the difference, for example, between a base and Plus model may not be quite as recognizable. 'The Vomero Plus looks awesome too,' Martinson said. 'I'm curious to see how that affects sales of he regular Vomero because it's kind of a different feel, but they still look fairly similar. So we'll see how that goes.' As promising as this year's returns have been for Nike Running, as well as the positivity of its forecast, it does indeed still have ground to make up in the sport. For runners who may go out just once or twice a week, as well as walkers and broader fitness enthusiasts, Farley said Nike still isn't winning that conversation. With those consumers, Brooks, Asics and Hoka still reign. And because the super shoe race has become so crowded, Martinson believes it will be more important than ever for Nike to win over the more casual runners and offer the best shoes that won't be used on race days. '[Nike has] dominated super shoes and still leads it, but where they were 90 percent of those sales, maybe they're going to be 50 to 60 [percent] going forward,' he said. 'So it feels like good timing for them. It certainly feels like a turnaround for Nike or a vibe shift.' Best of WWD All the Retailers That Nike Left and Then Went Back Mikey Madison's Elegant Red Carpet Shoe Style [PHOTOS] Julia Fox's Sleekest and Boldest Shoe Looks Over the Years [Photos]
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘When you get old, you become young again': remembering Fauja Singh, the marathon man
The first 20 miles of a marathon are not difficult, Fauja Singh once said. When it came to the last six miles, however, 'I run while talking to God.' The fact that he was attempting the distance at all might seem, to some, proof of divine assistance. Singh was 89 when he first took up distance running, having stumbled across a TV snippet of people running a marathon, and decided to give it a go. By his mid-90s he was a marathon veteran, a record holder for his age group and even a poster model for Adidas; aged 101 – or at least so he believed, since he never had a birth certificate – he became the oldest person ever to run the distance. This week, at the age of 114, Singh's race finally came to an end. He was hit by a car while crossing the road in his birth village of Beas Pind, near Jalandhar in Punjab, and suffered fatal injuries. A man has been arrested, according to Indian police. At Singh's former home in Ilford, east London, where he discovered running and trained for his athletic feats, his friends have been remembering a man who, in the words of his former trainer Harmander Singh (no relation), was 'an icon of humanity and a powerhouse of positivity'. 'We wouldn't say we were ready for [his death], but these circumstances certainly didn't help,' he said on Thursday, from the park where they used to train together. 'It did catch us by surprise.' Fauja Singh had spent the first eight decades of his life as a farmer in his small Punjabi village, where he was born in 1911, had married and raised six children, but never learned to read or write. After his wife died in the early 90s and their sole remaining son in the village was killed in an accident, he moved to Ilford to be close to other family members. It was here that Singh, griefstricken and speaking no English, was flicking through a TV set when he stumbled across footage of the 1999 New York marathon. 'He wanted to know what this race was because he couldn't relate to why people were running for so long,' says Harmander, 65. 'He didn't know what a marathon was. He was told it was 26 miles. He'd done a 20km walk a few months earlier, and he couldn't tell the difference between a mile and a kilometre. He said, 'Well, I can do another six.'' Through mutual friends he was introduced to Harmander, a keen amateur distance runner who had informally trained a few others, and had a keen eye for publicity. Though applications for the coming London marathon had closed, he helped to secure Singh a charity place. 'Then I had to explain to him what a charity was and what kind of different charities there were.' It was to be the first of many marathons, and other feats besides. The 52kg (8st 2lb) runner in his trademark yellow turban and long white beard may have seemed fragile, but a lifetime of hard physical work had made him strong. At 100, he set five age-related world records in a day, at distances from 100 metres to 5,000 metres. But though Singh was widely acclaimed as the first centenarian and oldest ever marathon runner, his lack of paperwork meant that his feat was never acknowledged by the Guinness World Records (the lack of paperwork did not, incidentally, stop him acquiring a British passport at around the same time). It's a subject on which his coach is still sore on his behalf, but Singh was untroubled, he says. 'He didn't care. He said, 'Who's Guinness?'' Any money he earned was given to charity, says his coach. Nonetheless, Singh undoubtedly enjoyed his celebrity: a children's book, Fauja Singh Keeps Going, and a Bollywood movie, Fauja, were inspired by his story. 'I think the attention kept him alive,' says Harmander. 'Another one of his sayings was, 'When you get old, you become young again, because you want attention.' 'He was fascinated, dazzled, because everything was glittering to him.' Needless to say, Harmander believes Singh's example shows you are never too old to run. 'I never ask people for their age,' he says – assuming they have been cleared by their doctor to run, he'll ask them to focus on their motivations. 'Because I'll remind them, when they're slacking later, why they wanted to do it in the first place.' The east London running club he founded, called Sikhs in the City, is now fundraising for a new clubhouse in memory of its most celebrated former member. Despite its name, says Harmander, it is open to all. In Singh's case, after a hard physical life and so much loss, running represented a distraction from his immense grief, his coach says. 'When I asked him about his motivations, he said, 'I just wanted to do something useful rather than dwell on the past.''
The Independent
20 hours ago
- The Independent
There's an epidemic of women being barged by men while running
The first shove happened early on. Definitely within the first kilometre. It was subtle and maybe even a bit gentle. Like it could've easily been a mistake: maybe he tripped and accidentally pushed his shoulder into my arm. Perhaps it happened so quickly he didn't even notice, which is why he must not have stopped to apologise. He might've mistaken me for a lamppost. That was how I rationalised it, anyway. But then came the second shove. And then the third. And fourth. In total, seven men either barged past or into me that Sunday while I was running a 10km race. Yes, I counted. As a longtime runner, I'm used to going it alone. A quick 5km loop in my local park here, a slightly longer jog to clear the cobwebs on a hangover there. It's rare that I do it with anyone else, let alone in a race format. But last weekend, I decided to switch things up and take part in Saucony 's annual 10km race through central London alongside 17,000 others. Music was blasting through the streets, which had been closed off specially. There were choirs, live DJs, and plenty of people cheering us on as we ran past the London Eye, Big Ben and Piccadilly Circus. It was great fun. Except for the barging. The run took me 51 minutes and I found it genuinely astonishing that during that time, I was barged into so much. Not one of the men who did it apologised, nor did they even seem to register that they'd almost knocked me right over. It wasn't exactly like the roads were mega busy, either; participants' start times for the race had been staggered according to pace. I never felt like I was too close to anyone, even when I did decide to try to speed up towards the end as my favourite Linkin Park song came on (don't mock my running playlist). In other words: there really was no need to push past anyone to get ahead. And yet, I'm told that this kind of thing happens a lot. Female friends of mine who run regularly in races and clubs have told me in the past that they've had it happen to them more times than they can count and have simply got used to it. 'It's literally every time I do a race,' said one friend who regularly takes part in marathons and 10km races. 'There's a part of me that thinks they should put men and women in separate races it's that bad. All these men just assume you can't keep up with them, and so they run past and move you out of the way.' Splitting races according to gender is one possible solution. But surely the more obvious one would simply be telling male runners to be a little more dignified. It's not the tallest order, is it? I'm almost certain this applies to only a minority of male runners. But that doesn't necessarily make it any better; all it takes is a few shoves to feel like you're being literally pushed out of doing something you love. It's not like this is the first time female runners have raised concerns, either. One in five women is concerned about harassment while exercising outdoors, according to Sport England's This Girl Can campaign. This can take myriad forms, from catcalling and wolf-whistling to pedestrians trying to block your path, all of which have happened to me several times while running. As if that wasn't bad enough, astonishingly, one in 10 women have been spat on by men while running, according to a survey of 1,500 female runners conducted by Metro earlier this year. 'After sharing what had happened in a small Facebook group for women in media, 80 women replied in less than 24 hours to say it had happened to them too,' wrote Alice Giddings in a piece for Metro after having been spat on by men while running on two separate occasions. 'Once through the safety of my front door, I called my mum and cried before stripping off, washing all my clothes and standing under a steaming hot shower for half an hour, still trying to process what had happened,' she added. Like many women, I use running to escape the anxieties and stressors of my daily life. I'm on the move. I'm breathing in fresh air. I'm dancing in my head – yes, there's also a lot of Robyn on the playlist. Nobody can disturb, let alone touch, me. Hence why these frankly bizarre male interventions are so distressing. Women shouldn't have to tolerate this kind of harassment anywhere. But least of all when we're doing one of the few things we do just for ourselves. Running is supposed to be enjoyable, fun, and most importantly, peaceful. Let's keep it that way.
