World’s Elite Runners to Help Children in Africa
Team World Vision To Compete in South Africa’s Comrades Marathon Their Goal – Find Sponsors for 1,500 Children
Grueling 56-Mile Foot Race May 30th Then They’ll Meet Children Whose Lives They Changed
The Comrades Marathon in South Africa is known as one of the most grueling endurance foot races on earth. On Sunday, May 30 (the 85th anniversary of the race) 20,000 athletes from all over the world will start the 56-mile foot race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. For 18 of them, this race marks the start of something more than just glory. 17 men and one woman will run as part of Team World Vision, a program of humanitarian relief organization World Vision and meet the children in Africa whose lives they have helped change forever.
The Ultimate Cause: While training for The Comrades Marathon, Team World Vision runners have a goal of finding 1,500 sponsors for children living in extreme poverty. Two days after the race, they will travel to South Africa and Kenya to meet the children for whom they found sponsors. They’ll also talk with community leaders and elite Kenyan runners in hopes they will become ambassadors for work World Vision is doing in their communities. Read more
Fitness Magazine Women’s Half-Marathon in Central Park
HOSTED BY SEX AND THE CITY ACTRESS KRISTIN DAVIS
More than 6,000 runners and walkers braved the rain to take part in the seventh-annual More Magazine | Fitness Magazine Women’s Half-Marathon, hosted by Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis, on April 25th in Central Park. Davis will also appear on the May cover of Fitness, on newsstands April 27th.
Runners represented all 50 states, and everyone from first-time runners to elite runners participated in the event, celebrating the health and fitness of women of all ages. Additionally, participants raised nearly $20,000 for CARE, an organization that empowers women around the world to help end global poverty.
The first athlete to cross the finish line was Sally Meyerhoff, 26, of Scottsdale, AZ, who despite the rain set a new event record time of one hour, 14 minutes, and 40 seconds. “I felt really good out there today, and the support from all the other women was amazing,” said Meyerhoff, who competed in a blue running skirt and wore her red hair in pigtails.
Meyerhoff, the reigning USA 25K champion, overtook early leader Colleen De Reuck, 46, of Boulder, CO, near the nine-mile mark. De Reuck, a four-time Olympian and the reigning USA 20K champion, who has a half-marathon personal best of 1:08:38, finished second in 1:16:26. Victoria Fiddick, 44, of Bermuda finished in third place with a time of 1:25:16. Read more
Calling All Triathletes
The Laurel’s Triathlon Training Center on the Upper East Side Offers Residents the Most Advanced Private Triathlon Training Facilities in NYC
Triathletes or those interested in triathlon training and access to the most advanced sports facilities in New York City have the unique opportunity to live in a building that meets the needs of their athletic lifestyle.
Located at 400 East 67th Street, The Laurel’s state-of-the-art Triathlon Training Center is available exclusively for residents at the luxury condominium building interested in challenging themselves on an uninterrupted running, swimming and biking circuit. In addition to a custom designed resistance pool with adjustable current levels, the center offers the most up-to-date equipment including Woodway “The Force” treadmills, which have a magnetic brake that provides resistance; CycleOps pro indoor cycles that reproduce the fit of a road bike; and SCIFIT ergo-meters designed for ultimate cardio and strength training.
Professional trainer Anthony Bagnetto of Iowa Sports Management is one of two skilled trainers on staff available to work privately with residents at The Laurel. Bagnetto, a triathlete since 2006 who will compete in the New York City Triathlon in July 2010, said triathletes couldn’t find a better place in New York City to call home.
“There is a strong triathlete population here in New York City, so it’s fantastic that there is a residential building available that caters to their sport,” Bagnetto said. “I first heard about The Laurel and its Triathlon Training Center long before it opened. As a triathlete, I was so impressed with the concept. Everything in it is all top of the line.”
The Triathlon Training Center is part of the Laurel’s Trophy Club, an 8,000 square feet bi-level fitness and spa-like facility. Other offerings at the private amenity space on the Upper East Side of Manhattan include a 50-foot infinity edge lap pool with a glass mosaic tile interior and a botticino marble deck; a fitness center with state-of-the-art apparatus including Life Fitness cardiovascular training equipment, free-weights; custom-designed Atlantis strength equipment; a steam room; and a sauna.
The Trophy Club was designed by prominent New York fitness specialist John Sitaras and is run by Iowa Sports Management. The space elegantly combines beauty and function, outfitted with marble, limestone and frosted glass walls and custom designed poolside cabanas with Wenge wood paneling and upholstered seating.
“The Trophy Club is the most cutting-edge fitness center available today and only The Laurel can offer it exclusively to our residents,” said Joanie Schumacher, Director of Sales for The Laurel.
The Laurel’s foundation is built upon environmentally conscious principles from the construction, energy efficiency, building materials, and indoor air quality, to the active and healthy lifestyle it provides to its residents. There are 129 condominium residences in The Laurel, designed by award-winning architects Costas Kondylis and Brian Callahan, which range in size from studios to four bedrooms.
Source: Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group
30th Anniversary Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
Random Lottery To Open December 1, 2009
The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon will celebrate its 30th year as one of the premier triathlons in the world on Sunday, May 2, 2010. For 30 years, this legendary race has attracted professional and amateur athletes from around the world with its challenging course including the infamous swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, the hilly bike ride and grueling run through San Francisco. The world’s leading sports, entertainment and media company IMG Worldwide once again promises a stellar race ideal for athletes and spectators alike.
“The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is my favorite race,” said Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Three-Time Winner and Professional Triathlete Andy Potts. “IMG puts on a first class race that attracts top athletes from around the world and takes place on a truly unique course only made possible in a great city like San Francisco. I look forward to participating in the 30th Annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon and being a part of its ongoing history.”
Similar to the world-renowned Kona Ironman race, the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is one of the hardest triathlons to get into and one of only a few triathlons to be nationally televised. Interested participants can qualify to participate by placing in one of the Escape TO Alcatraz Triathlon Series races: Triathlon de Gerardmer France, September 5, 2009; The Triathlon at Pacific Grove, September 11-13, 2009; Jarden Westchester Triathlon, September 29, 2009; San Diego Triathlon, March 20-21, 2010; and GateWay to the Bay, April 10-11, 2010, or by entering the random lottery beginning on December 1, 2009. Due to the race’s extreme popularity, the lottery fills up quickly, with thousands of hopeful participants attempting to secure one of the few coveted spots. Additionally, top men and women from the previous Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon automatically qualify for the race.
“From the London Triathlon – the world’s largest, to the brand new Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is one of nearly a dozen renowned triathlons owned and produced by IMG,” said IMG’s Senior Vice President James Leitz. “IMG is dedicated to the sport of Triathlon and developing world class experiences for athletes around the world.”
Featuring a 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, an 18-mile bike and an 8-mile run through San Francisco, this race is considered one of the most difficult triathlons in the world. More than 2,000 amateur and professional athletes from dozens of countries will attempt to conquer the icy cold swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, the hilly bike ride and grueling run through San Francisco for the 30th Annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.
The 30th Anniversary Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon will take place on Sunday, May 2, 2010, at 8 a.m., in San Francisco. The public is invited to watch the race and attend the free two-day Fitness Festival & Expo Saturday and Sunday. (Please note, the date has changed from May 30, to May 2, 2010, due to a Doyle Drive construction project and Memorial Day Weekend traffic congestion.) The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is owned and produced by IMG Worldwide with race direction provided, in part, by Premier Event Management.
www.escapefromalcatraztriathlon.com
Source: IMG Worldwide
Rate of skin infections in high school and college athletes continues to grow
Athletic Trainers are Key to Prevention
A recent survey of nearly 650 athletic trainers across the U.S. revealed that in the past 12 months nearly 76 percent of the respondents’ athletic programs, mostly high school- and college-based, bacterial or viral skin infections have developed. This is up from 73 percent in 2008 and 67 percent in 2007.(1) (2) The good news – infection rates of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph infection that is resistant to many common antibiotics, stabilized at 49 percent, the same as reported in 2008. (2)
The survey, conducted every year since 2006 at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) annual meeting, also showed a significant increase in athletic trainers’ roles in educating key groups including athletes (87 percent, up from 80 percent in 2008), coaches (80 percent, up from 62 percent in 2008) and athletes’ families (40 percent, up from 30 percent in 2008). This is important since these groups are often the “first responders” when it comes to early identification and treatment of a skin infection such as MRSA or sports-related injury.
“While we would like to see the estimated number of skin infections decrease, we are encouraged by the role athletic trainers increasingly play in educating and supporting athletes, coaches and families,” said Marjorie J. Albohm, MS, ATC, president of NATA. “MRSA continues to be an issue our members face on and off the field, but so are heat exhaustion, H1N1 and head concussions. Athletic Trainers deal with everything from cuts and sprains to potentially life threatening injuries on a daily basis.”
MRSA is usually spread from person-to-person through direct skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces such as towels, used bandages, hot and cold tubs, or weight-training equipment that have come in contact with the bacteria. MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils that are red, swollen and painful. MRSA can be life threatening when it enters the body through scrapes and scratches, potentially leading to blood and joint infections, and pneumonia. As the number of cases of MRSA has increased in the community, so have contact sports-related infections. (cite)
To help prevent transmission of infections and illnesses such as MRSA, H1N1 or seasonal flu, it is often recommended that athletes wash with cleansers that contain 4 percent chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). CHG bonds to the skin and continues to actively kill germs for up to six hours without leaving a residue. This offers protection between washings and during competition. CHG has been used in hospitals and operating rooms for decades to help prevent the spread of infection.
“Washing with a cleanser that contains CHG can be especially helpful in amateur sports, since many athletes at that level do not shower immediately before or after activities. By washing even just the hands and arms before an activity, the risk of infection can be dramatically reduced,” said Jack Doornbos, executive director, Molnlycke Health Care, the health care company that supported the survey.
In fact, last year the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) noted that “the single most important thing for prevention is hand-washing with soap and water, or if MRSA is known to be present, with chlorhexidene (Hibiclens).(3)” Hibiclens® skin cleanser is one over-the-counter cleanser that contains 4 percent CHG and has been proven to kill germs on contact and bond with the skin to keep killing microorganisms for up to six hours without leaving a residue. The same cleanser with alcohol is available as a wipe called Hibistat® for on-the-go needs. Both are available at drug stores and pharmacies in the first aid section. For more information about CHG or to download free educational materials about MRSA and sports, visit hibiclens.com/athletes.html.
(1) Molnlycke Health Care, NATA survey of Athletic Trainers, June 2007.
(2) Molnlycke Health Care, NATA Survey of Athletic Trainers, June 2008.
(3) www.NFLplayers.com, “An Increasingly Common Bacterial Infection”, November 28, 2008, Dr. Thom Mayer.
Source: Molnlycke Health Care US, LLC