What a Difference a Day Makes
Words by Marcus Ryder – Illustrations by Natasha Smith.
In the past five years, running in China has exploded.
It is hard to get official numbers, but it is estimated that China hosted more than 120 marathons in 2017, 20 times the number of just five years ago – and that number keeps growing.
One more fact you need to know in order to understand how I became an elite athlete for one race. China has 102 cities with populations of more than a million, most of which you have probably never heard of, but they all have ambitions to be famous and stand out from the crowd.
Many of these massive unknown cities think a massive city marathon may be the secret to achieving fame and global recognition.
Read the full story here, first published in LtW#16.
Turning Point
Words by Patricia Oudit – first published in French in Kiki – adapted from the original by Julie Freeman and Imogen Lees.
First the suspicion, then the revolution.
Fifteen years ago, a young Catalan runner shook up the then small world of trail running. Accused of cheating in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (the first time he had entered the race), 20-year-old Kilian Jornet shook up the small world of trail running to the point of breaking its codes. After that, nothing was ever the same again.
Read the full story here, first published in LtW#37.
Cross Country with Rickey Gates
Interview by Simon Freeman.
Running can provide experiences, self expression, emotional healing and more. It’s just that unlike Rickey Gates most people don’t need to run across a continent in search of them.
Read the full story here, first published in LtW#25.
Hakone
Words by Adharanand Finn – illustration by Luke Waller.
It’s the greatest race you’ve never heard of: the Hakone Ekiden. Lots of races may lay claim to this impressive title, but few have such a legitimate case. On 2 and 3 January every year, this local university road relay brings Japan to a standstill. Raced over 135 miles, from the centre of Tokyo to the foot of Mount Fuji and back, it is a competition with more hype, emotion, and drama than any other race I’ve ever witnessed. The New York Marathon is a Sunday picnic in Central Park compared to this.
Read the full story here, first published in LtW#5.
Seba Vandermolen: Via PanAm
Words by Seba Vandermolen – Photography by Via PanAm Today.
The long run is a fixture in most runners’ weeks. But how long is long. How about from the northern extreme of Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina?
Belgian ultra-runners Weking Van Reeth and Sebastiaan Vandermolen decided to cross the American continent from north to south, with their wives following them in self-built 4×4 campers. Like the Wind caught up with them halfway through their journey in Panama City to talk about the first 7,750 miles, what lay ahead… and how the idea for their unconventional journey came about.
Read the full story here, first published in LtW#13.
Run for Freedom
Words by Constantine “Dean” Karnazes – Photography by Angelos Zymaras.
Nike! Nike! Nenikekamen!” “Victory! Victory! Rejoice, we conquer!”
490BC. Pheidippides, a messenger, finally arrives at the end of his 26-mile run from a battlefield in Marathon to the Acropolis in Athens to deliver news of an unexpected Greek victory over Persian invaders. It was a glorious moment of celebration for the human race… and then he heroically collapsed and died from exhaustion.
This is the familiar origin story of that most egalitarian of sports, the marathon.
Read the full story here, first published in LtW#31.
Running on This Ice
Words by Like the Wind, Brett Rocos and Damian Hall – Photography by Mikkel Beisner.
Under African Skies
Words and Photography by Megan Brownrigg.
“Wear some woolies if you want.”
For a morning run in Ethiopia? Pull the other one.
Come 5am, I hoicked on my bobble hat, microfleece and a scarf. Addis Ababa is fresh before first light. I fumbled for gloves, my eyes seemingly glued together. The low hypnotic hum of the orthodox call to prayer had been my lullaby, along with the ear squeal of a mosquito. And the dog fights, which I’m pretty sure had ended in murder
But to be honest, my overwhelming feeling that morning wasn’t of religion or animal welfare. It was sheer panic. I’m not a runner. And I was about to go for a run 2,600m above sea level. With athletes.
