Starting with press reports on Thursday, the message was clear: IT’S GOING TO BE HOT AT THE BOSTON MARATHON! YOU MIGHT DIE!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHH!!!
Nevertheless, the runners seem to have persevered. The heat was also a challenge for the non-runners and spectators, who evidently have added Patriots’ Day to the list of Holidays That Are Really Just Excuses For Drinking Heavily (see St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve).
The appeal of zombies and zombie races centers on the fear of being relentlessly pursued and eaten by mindless hordes. Outbreak Manila was a three-mile zombie avoidance race held in the Philippines last Saturday. But the event seemed to turn zombie horror on its head. Perhaps you can guess the problem by viewing the video:
There were 200 zombies and 5,000 runners. We’re compelled to ask: Why are you running? When you outnumber the zombies 25-to-1 it’s hard to generate terror. In fact, watching that mob of runners descend on the handful of zombies did make me afraid – for the welfare of the zombies.
I’m beginning to wonder if the zombie apocalypse might actually be short-lived. Reuters has a story this morning about how zombie shooting targets are all the rage at the expo of the National Rifle Association. And there’s more:
Firing ranges across the country are offering zombie-themed shooting events, some held as daylight fades for atmosphere, said Brad Ross, a division manager for Law Enforcement Targets, Inc, a maker of zombie targets.
This is worrisome. It won’t be long before someone decides to merge the zombie run with the zombie shoot. “That’s another one for the fire.”
Being a working stiff in North Korea is tough in the best of times, but this was a particularly bad week for those of all job titles who toil in the name of the Supreme Commander.
It’s a mystery worthy of CSI. British runner John Lawton, 62, decided to take on the Taygetos Marathon in Greece. It’s a mountainous trail race, described by one UK running club this way:
The design of the route ensured that there were no dangers for the athletes and conformed to the requirements of a mountain race: 80% of its length was on mountain paths, 15% on earth-roads and only 5% on asphalt.
Though very difficult, the course doesn’t seem to be particularly treacherous, yet Lawson vanished during the race, sometime after passing the fourth checkpoint.
More than four days have passed without a sign. Greek authorities continue their search.
We all love new running gadgets, and I love even more encouraging new capitalists, so here’s a free plug for industrial designers Francesca Passoni and Cristina Cook, who are looking for backers for their product, the Gokey:
They’re looking raise $10,000 on Kickstarter and appear to be well on their way already. Just as a legal disclaimer: I don’t know these women and have no interest, financial or otherwise, in their enterprise. I do find their product intriguing enough to share with you, even though I’ve been using satisfactorily a wrist coil to hold my key for about seven years. It cost me $1.
1 comment - What do you think? Posted by
Mike -
April 11, 2012 at 10:44
I ran across (ha-ha!) a web site I hadn’t known existed: SportsFunny.com. And while I had to do a bit of digging to find them, they have pages devoted to Funny Marathon! and Funny Running! The latter has the following intro:
Welcome to Sports Funny’s RUNNING page! Do You think you have seen Running? Prepare yourself for some funny stuff about Running from all over the world. The Olympics are here! May the Olympic Gods be with you while you laugh with these funny Olympic Sports.
Some of the best Running videos and pictures are here just to make you laugh!
And remember… come back often as we are always adding some funny stuff to this page.
