Bernard Lagat is a legend among American Long-Distance runners. He is a five-time world champion and has won Olympic Bronze and Silver medals.
His is an interesting story as he used to be a Kenyan athlete who competed in the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics for his native country before changing his allegiance to United States of America.
This man, who possesses 11 world championship medals in all, would be opening up a new chapter in his career, well into his forties, come November 4 when he participates in the TCS New York Marathon. He has, so far, in his career, competed in 1500-, 3000- and 5000-meter disciplines and holds the American record in all those distances.
He will have to run the full 26.2-mile course and prove that, at 43, the hunger and passion for success is still there.
1. Challenges Facing Lagat On His Marathon Debut
At the ripe old age of 43, it would be difficult for any sportsperson to make his debut in an event where he hasn’t competed before. However, Lagat has shown that he has the capacity to break boundaries and achieve previously unattained heights. Earlier this year, he became the oldest person to win the USATF 10K race.
But running 26.2 miles would be far more challenging as another transitional athlete found out earlier this year. Gwen Jorgensen, a successful triathlete made her marathon debut at the Chicago marathon but failed to make a mark.
Will a similar fate befell Lagat or will he show his indomitable spirit and conquer the race once again?
Only time will tell but there is another major hurdle in his way in the form of defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya. In fact, the men’s division field is packed with three winners of races in the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
2. Possibilities For Lagat In The Future
While his winning the race would be a spectacular outcome and one worthy of being considered among the greatest achievements in the story of modern sports, one has to be realistic about his possibilities.
Even if he manages to finish in the top-10, it would be a highly-commendable performance. A finish in top-5 would be no less than spectacular. But it should not be forgotten that Lagat is still one of the most impressive long-distance runners in the world.
He was the oldest member of the USA track and field team at Rio Olympics and if he continues to produce the kind of results he has done so far, making the team again in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics may not be out of the realms of possibility.
He had announced his retirement from track racing after achieving only the fifth position in the 5000m event at Rio but now a new avenue is opening up for him. He said in a press release that what inspired him to take to marathon was watching the New York Marathon some years ago from the lead vehicle.
Now that he is free from the load of track events, maybe he can add another glorious chapter to his career’s story.
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It is a cliché that you are never too old to try a new thing. But it would still blow people’s mind to know that a person began running and jogging in his 70s and earlier this year, took part in the Air Force Marathon Series at the age of 84.
This is the true story of Ovidio Pugnale. A retired Colonel of the American Air Force who served during the Vietnam War and now resides in Beavercreek, Ohio.
He told a media network that racing was never something he though about doing until he was struck by the bright idea of using jogging as an excuse to leave the home and avoid doing the chores his wife would give him.
This eventually turned into a passion and now Colonel Pugnale is an inspirational figure for all those who want to beat the restrictions of age.
Ovidio Pugnale’s Background
In many ways, the story of Ovidio Pugnale is a typical American immigrant tale. His family moved from Italy when he was 2-years old and settled down in North-East of Ohio.
His father had been a soldier in the First World War and Ovidio managed to get admission in Pilot School before getting drafted into the emerging branch of the US Air Force in the area.
He served as a B 52 pilot in the Vietnam War and retired after 26 years of service. Having been posted in the area three times, he decided to make this place his home.
The racing spirit possessed him when he first participated in a 10 K race which was part of the Air Force Marathon series.
The fever stuck with him and this year, he participated in both the 5 K and 10 K race on September 15 to prove his mettle once again.
So, next time you are in the middle of a long-run and feel you are too old of this, think of Ovidio Pugnale.
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Among the leading long-distance races of the world, the Millennium Marathon is fast emerging as one of the leading events. It’s not surprising therefore that I have been wanting to take part in it.
What makes this race special is that it takes place in Ghana. As we know, Africa hardly features as a prominent sporting destination in most sports of the world.
Even when it does, it is usually South Africa where most of the events take place. A place like Ghana hardly comes into focus for sports.
So, a well-known marathon race taking place there certainly has a novelty factor.
On top of that, the race course is very beautiful and goes past many attractive sites of historical importance.
Basics About Millennium Marathon
2018 saw the fourth edition of the Millennium Marathon. The event began in 2015 and is hosted by the beautiful city of Accra.
The course on which the Marathon takes place has been approved by the international body AIMS and is known for passing besides some of the most famous monuments in the city. These include the famous mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah.
Runners have two options: a 21 km half-marathon or the 5 km race. The race starts at the famous Freedom Arch Independence Square.
The official slogan for the race was Run ‘The Change In You.’ People from the city as well as across the country responded to the call with over 10,000 participants taking part.
The most attractive feature of the race, at least from my point of view, is the fact that Accra is a relatively unexplored city which combines elements of the colonial period along with more modern developments.
In the course of this race, one gets to see the city in all its glory and view a side of urban Africa we rarely see on television. I do hope to participate next year.
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Most people associate Marathons with running or even walking. But there is another species of this event that has become very popular in recent years and has played a key part in raising money for charities. It is the ‘Dance Marathon.’
So, what exactly is it? To put it simply, it is a marathon where people either dance or keep walking to the accompaniment of music for a very long period. These marathons originated and came into vogue in the 1920s and became more popular in the 1930s during the period of Great Depression.
Initially, they were simply meant as dance contests but later on became events where people were invited to participate and show their endurance. Winners would win fame and money which is why they had a special allure during the time of Great Depression.
In the 1930s, they were extremely popular and seen as one of the toughest tests of endurance.
Presently, they have become rare events and are mostly held for the purpose of raising funds for charity. Many organisations have come forward to organise dance marathons and have succeeded in using them to raise funds for just causes.
Prominent Dance Marathons In USA And Their Related Charities
– Miracle Network Dance Marathon
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is a non-profit organisation that works for providing treatment to kids suffering from serious ailments. It supports more than 170 pediatric hospitals around USA and raises funds for them.
This organisation has the distinction of contributing 100% of their funds to support local kids receiving treatment in their area. It has, to date, raised more than $200 million for children with the Miracle Network Dance Marathon and is willing to go even further in the future.
This tradition began in 1991 and sees students of universities and schools taking part in the event to help less fortunate kids who are plagued with serious ailments. The participating students spend the whole year planning and preparing the whole year for the event and their efforts culminate in an event which could range from 8-40 hours.
On the day of the event, the students also interact and meet those kids whom they are trying to help.
2017 saw 300 dance marathon events and 11 campuses in the USA raising over a million dollars. More than 250,000 enthusiastic students lent their participation to the event.
– Northwestern University Dance Marathon (NUDM) 2018
More than a thousand undergraduate students of Northwestern University participated in the 44th annual dance marathon which took place from March 9-11 on the Evanston Campus of the University.
The students contributed in various ways from taking up management duties to fundraising. But the most spectacular contribution came from those who danced for 30 hours continuously.
The funds raised in this marathon went to Cradles to Crayons (a charity dedicated to providing basic needs of poor children in the age group 0-12) and Evanston Community Foundation (promotes leadership and capacity building in the community).
The enthusiastic participation of the students showed that far from being carefree, they are as committed to helping society as anyone else.
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It’s hard to walk a mile in countries where Starbucks has a major presence without spotting one of its outlets.
Which is why it is a big news that the coffee giant has announced that by 2025, it plans to have 10,000 Greener Stores as part of its initiative to become eco-friendlier.
But what exactly are Greener stores and how do they help the environment?
Where will these greener stores be located? Will the existing stores be turned into Greener ones or new ones set up?
All these questions are relevant and which is why it’s relevant that we dwell deep into them for answers.
1. What Are Greener Stores?
Greener stores or green stores are based on a rating by USGBCs LEED program. It measures the buildings performance on the parameters of environmental-friendliness and design sustainability.
If a store passes the test of LEED, it is considered to be helpful to the environment. So far, Starbucks has succeeded in setting up around 1000 Greener stores in countries around the world.
The Greener stores include LED lighting which reduces the electricity consumption; heat recovery units which prevent the need to generate heat from artificial sources; use of equipment which is certified by Energy Star; flooring tiles which are made from recycled material; wood that has not been obtained from sources which cause damage to the protected forests; paints which are not consisting of volatile organic chemicals and valves which are low-flow and therefore not wasteful.
What is most impressive about Starbucks’ initiative is the fact that it accounts for 20% of all the LEED-certified retail outlets in the world.
2. The Importance Of This Initiative
Cynics of this move would see it as another vain attempt by a selfish corporate body to benefit by pretending that they are concerned about the environment. However, that would be, as stated, cynical and in the extreme.
This decision of Starbucks needs to be lauded because it shows a corporate entity from the first world with no legal obligations to do anything about it, taking steps for environmental protection.
Even if they are doing this out of sheer self-interest, it is a measure worth being backed. It has to be remembered that the west has been chiefly responsible for the environmental degradation that has caused the global warming in the first place.
Yet, instead of being mindful of that, most western countries are teeming with politicians who either deny climate change or blame it on the developing countries. The pulling out of USA from the climate-change agreement has brought this issue to the fore.
Hence, it is heartening to see that a private entity from the western world is taking steps to become more environmentally conscious.
This might set a very good trend and also poke other private companies and organisations, not to mention governments into taking similar steps. Since the American Federal Government has pulled out of the Paris accord, it’s up to the constituent elements of the country to do their bit and with a company as prominent and as visible as Starbucks taking that responsibility, it’s a great start.
]]>I decided to partake in one of those week-long events that lasted from September 10-17 and saw a large turnout of people determined to, both, enjoy themselves and become part of a noble cause.
In the second part of the year, almost every week witnesses a collection of events like this and the response from the crowd is heartening to say the least.
To be fair, it’s not hard to attract crowd when such great entertainment is on offer for the youth but still there must be a great deal of compassion in the heart for people to come down to the valley and donate money for causes that often escape their attention.
1. My Experience
I didn’t go to these set of events expecting the best entertainment. My hopes were pinned on being able to donate some money and contribute as a volunteer to some of the organisations present there. But to my great and pleasant surprise, the kind of performers gathered there were highly capable and were not, to my untrained senses, lacking in talent.
My participation started on September 12 with the Patriot Bingo at American Legion Post 176. This event raised money for the veterans in the local area by holding a Bingo Night. The event took off at 5 PM and I had the pleasure of participating without any tension or worry about whether I would win or not since my money was anyway going into a good cause.
Indeed, I didn’t win anything but it was enjoyable to take part in the event.
This event took place on September 12 but some charities are present throughout the week to push their cause. Next day, I joined the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop and helped out the people there in collecting donations meant to help those suffering from this illness.
After spending a couple of hours there, I decided to help out MEND Food Bank which needed volunteers
Collecting food for the needy should not be required in a place like United States but the sad reality is that due to financial crisis, there are many people who need assistance. I decided to help them out to the best of my ability.
On the remaining days, there were similar experiences that I had. What was most interesting was the presence of a large number of Christian charities.
They were mainly focused on helping the needy and those struggling to get two good meals a day.
2. Overall Reaction
The people of Los Angeles need to be commended for showing so much interest in coming out to help raise money for just causes.
These types of events will continue through October and I would certainly be lending my help again in making them successful.
]]>Personally, the one issue that I want to raise is that of mental health. In spite of great attempts by various organisations and social bodies, mental health still remains a mystery and an enigma to most people.
Those who are unfortunate enough to suffer from mental disorders are still likely to face some level of discrimination. All this is born out of ignorance and lack of knowledge.
The more people become aware of what mental illnesses are and what they entail, the less likely they are to treat it as something abnormal and worthy of discriminating behavior.
1. Marathons Dedicated To Mental Health
Already, many marathons and runs are taking place which are dedicated to mental health. Let’s look at some of the prominent ones.
– NAMIWalks
National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) is an organisation that seeks to create awareness about issues of mental health through the USA by organizing NAMIWalks. More than 80 communities of the country host this event and while registration is free, there is the opportunity for participants to donate money to the cause.
While this is not a marathon or a running event, it is worthy of being included in this list due to its wide presence.
– Mental Health Foundations Run Teams
This foundation forms teams to participate in lots of prominent running events and through them create awareness on these issues. These events include Edinburgh Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Scottish Half-Marathon etc. You can also join their team and lend support in raising these issues through these prominent events.
You don’t need to be an established runner. For beginners, the foundation provides help in the form of refreshments along the way. The foundation also participates in other types of physical activities.
– Outrun Anxiety 5K
The name of this marathon itself makes clear its intention. Anxiety has emerged as one of the most common mental ailments. Yet, lot of people still prefer not to reveal it and feel ashamed about it.
This particular 5K race is meant to help teenagers who often fall prey to this problem. Organized by an organisation called Anxiety in Teens which was started by a sufferer, this event takes place in Tucson, Arizona and is greatly supported by the community.
– Run for Women
While mental health is a serious issue for everyone, it becomes even more complicated for women as they have so many other issues to deal with. In Canada, it is to increase awareness about women’s mental health that Shoppers Drug Mart organises this special ‘Run for Women’ in 12 cities.
The options are a 10km run, a 5km run or even 1km walk for girls under 12. Many parents who have a young girl in their own family come out to support this race every year.
2. Using Established Marathons For Mental Health Awareness
The London marathon takes up a charity each year to raise awareness and money for a particular and relevant issue.
In 2017, they chose mental health and joined hands with Heads Together – a charity committed to the cause of improving knowledge of mental health in the general public.
The 700 people who represented Heads Together included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also who lent their support to the campaign.
A large number of people, running into thousands, were given blue headbands representing the charity and they wore it proudly while participating in it.
3. Are These Efforts Bearing Fruit?
They most certainly are! When people see a large number of their fellow citizens taking to the roads to raise an issue which has been pushed under the carpets for a long time, they are bound to take a positive message away from it.