It’s not exactly barefoot running, and they won’t do much good if you want to run outside in winter, but these $250 chainmail shoes from a German company called Gost will protect your feet from broken glass on the road. And also attacks on your feet by broadsword. Though, seeing as steel is slightly [ more... ]

Marathoning and triathlon are on a huge upswing in participation: The number of U.S. marathon finishers increased from about 300,000 in 2000 to 525,000 in 2011, and roughly 2.5 million people participated in a triathlon in 2011, a huge leap from just under 1.5 million in 2008. And, organizers argue, runners and triathletes are successful [ more... ]

A piece in The New York Times takes a look at backward running as a means of recovering from certain injuries, improving one’s balance, and mixing up your workout. A small part of me hopes that it catches on and backward running becomes the new barefoot running. I can’t wait to see the shoes Nike [ more... ]

A 65-year-old man in Iowa has committed to running a marathon on each of the 7 continents instead of settling down to retire. He’s using the goal as a way to travel extensively, including a trip for a marathon in Cuba (don’t tell!), but best of all is his story from Antarctica. I’d wondered how [ more... ]

As far as running goes, he’s somewhat of a real-life Forrest Gump, except he doesn’t leave New York: Thirty-five years after his first jog around Prospect Park in Brooklyn, 64-year-old Luis Rios has run more than 200,000 miles, and continues to run 150-plus miles a week, mostly in Prospect Park and on the Coney Island [ more... ]

Krissy Moehl is an ultra-distance trail runner, doing for fun what most of us would only do at gunpoint during forced relocation at wartime. The Wild Love series kicked off about 5 months back with an intimate look at how guide Jake Norton and his wife Wende Valentine balanced travel, adventure, and their lives together. It’s one of those nice, life affirming things. Not bad to watch once in a while to distract us from life in the cubicle farm. Enjoy.

via Adventure Blog

Running USA reports in their annual “state of the sport” that more people than ever are trail running, running half marathons, and overall there was a 9% growth in frequent runners. Marathoners saw only a modest increase, and charity marathons (people who raise cash for a charity to run the marathon) made up most of [ more... ]

A German company has jumped on the barefoot running trend a bit late, but amazingly the Germans have managed to build something without over-engineering it. Starringer has released the Freeheel Runningpad, which is like a flip-flop without a heel. It straps over the top of your feet so you can spend your run enjoying the [ more... ]

This barefoot running has really been a boon for shoe companies. That might not make sense, but the fact is that most people who look to the advantages of barefoot running still want a lightweight shoe that will protect their feet while they daintily trod through town. Earlier studies concluded that it was actually better [ more... ]

Scott Downard had no intention of running the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth, Texas, but when a friend who’d registered was unable to run, he pinned on his number and took off. Then he won first place by over 6 minutes. His 2:31:40 would have qualified him for Boston and New York, but he’ll have [ more... ]