Follow up: Lindsay Lohan did not run in Sunday's Los Angeles Marathon, despite having said last summer that she was wanting to.  

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Quickie: One of the world's most exotic running events, the Antarctica Marathon & Half Marathon, will be happening Monday (March 10th). "Marathon Man" Trent Morrow will be running it, and in the process complete his goal of running a marathon on all seven continents. (If you missed the registration deadline for this race, there's still the Antarctic Ice Marathon, Half Marathon & 100K coming up this November, but it appears that that event is now sold out.)

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The March 8/9 weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal has an article entitled "Ironman? Yes, You Can" that illustrates the lengths to which many triathletes go in using electronic gadgets and high-priced gear to do iron-distance triathlons. Although there's a lot of truth in the article, I cringed while reading it, since will scare away anyone who really thinks they need a $20,000 bicycle, $1,200 wetsuit or $400 running shoes to compete in the sport. The sport already has a problem of being perceived as too expensive, and this article only adds to that perception. The truth is, you can get by with a much smaller investment.

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You may recall the statistics contained in my 2013 Year In Review showing that participation at marathons and half marathons was down in Missouri last year. There weren't any statistics available to say whether the decline also occurred nationwide, or whether this was just a temporary pause in running's popularity after years of rapid growth.

Like running, triathlon had a huge growth spurt in the 2000s. I've been curious as to whether triathlon has suffered a similar decline in participation, but no statistics were available for that, either. However, I think I've found the answer.

Dan Empfield is the foremost authority on the sport of triathlon. He was one of the very first triathletes in the late 1970s/early 1980s when the sport was virtually unknown, and he's stayed close to the sport ever since, including founding Slowtwitch.com, the most popular triathlon website in the world.   He has his pulse on the sport like no other.

Here's what Dan posted on Slowtwitch.com this past Wednesday:

"I’m going to tell you today, now, here, what others won’t. Triathlon as an industry, company by company, has been flat or declining in the U.S. for the past 2 years, maybe 3 years. How do I know this? Because I routinely poll you, our readers, as well as the retailers you buy from and the race directors whose events you enter. If anyone tells you triathlon in the U.S. is on a growth curve since 2011 I’d like to see that person’s data."

Here's a link to the complete article.

No one is saying running or triathlon is in a permanent decline.  It's looking, though, like both sports are taking a breather.  We should know for certain in a year or two.  

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ST. PATRICK'S DAY 5K RUN/WALK (posted February 11th)

The Eldon Parks & Recreation Department will be holding its annual St. Patrick's Day 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, March 15th, at the Department of Public Safety Building in Eldon (map).

The run/walk starts at 8:00 a.m.   The pre-registration deadline is March 12th.   Registering on or before that date gets you a guaranteed t-shirt on race day and a discounted entry fee of $15.  After March 12th, the entry fee is $20. Race-day registration will be open from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.

A registration form with additional event details can be downloaded in .docx or .pdf format.

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SHAMROCK 'N' ROLL 5K RUN/WALK & 1-MILE FUN RUN (posted March 1st)

Kids' Harbor Child Advocacy Center (Facebook page), the Osage Beach-based organization that assists abused and neglected children, will be holding their Shamrock 'n' Roll 5K Run/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run on Saturday, March 15th, at Tan-Tar-A's Hidden Lakes golf course. (Hidden Lakes is located inside the resort next to the Timber Falls indoor water park, and shouldn't be confused with The Oaks golf course that's located along Route KK. Here's a map to the starting line at Hidden Lakes.)   The run course will be on Hidden Lakes' cart paths.

The 1-mile fun run/walk starts at 9:30 a.m., and the 5K at 10:00 a.m.  Registration opens at 8:00 a.m.

Click here for a flyer/registration form.

With the 5K starting at 10:00 a.m., anyone who was planning to do the Eldon St. Patrick's Day 5K at 8:00 a.m. should have plenty of time to get to the Shamrock 'n' Roll 5K in time for the start, although you may have to skip the St. Pat's awards ceremony.

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IMPACT MEDICAL MISSIONS 5K/10K RUN/WALK (posted March 2nd)

The fourth annual Impact Medical Missions 5K/10K Run/Walk will be held on Saturday, March 22nd, at the Linn Creek City Park (map).  The 5K/10K will start at 9:00 a.m.; walkers will start at 9:15 a.m.  Race-day registration will be open from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. 

T-shirts will be guaranteed to those who pre-register by March 10th.  All others will receive t-shirts while supplies last on race day.

The entry fee is $20 per individual, or $40 per family.

Click for the registration form in .docx or .pdf format.

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HOPE RAY DUNKLEE MEMORIAL RUN (posted January 30th)

The Morgan County Caring for Kids Coalition (Facebook page) will be holding the Hope Ray Dunklee Memorial Run on Saturday, March 29th, at Versailles High School. The event is named after Hope Ray Dunklee, an infant who succumbed prior to birth to an incurable genetic defect known as Trisomy 18.   Proceeds from the event will go toward the Coalition's Back to School Health Fair.

The event will include a 5K run, a 2-mile walk, and a half-mile run for kids 10 and under.  Starting times vary for each event. 

The registration fee is $25 for the 5K run and 2-mile walk, and $10 for the half-mile kids run, until March 10th.  After that, the fee rises to $30 for all events.  T-shirts are only guaranteed for those who register by March 10th. 

Click here for complete information and a registration form.

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ELDON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL 5K SPRING COLOR RUN/WALK (posted January 28th)

The second annual 5K Spring Color Run/Walk, organized by Eldon High School's Student Council, is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd. The run/walk starts at 8:00 a.m. at the Eldon Career Center at 110 S. Pine Street, which is located two blocks west of the Department of Public Safety building where most Eldon 5Ks begin (map).   This is a non-timed event designed for family fun.

The entry fee is $25 until April 25th, and $30 thereafter.  T-shirts can only be guaranteed for those who register by April 25th.    

For complete details and a registration form, click for one in .doc or .pdf format.

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LAKE REGIONAL 5K FUN RUN/WALK (updated March 6th)

The 7th annual Lake Regional 5K Fun Run/Walk is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd, at Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach.  The 5K run will begin at 7:30 a.m., with walkers starting immediately after.  Race-day registration will open at 7:00 a.m.

The entry fee is $20 until April 3rd.  After that, the fee will be $25. 

A flyer and registration form can be found here. You can also register online here.

The course will presumably be the same as last year. 

(Click on photo for a larger view.)

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ROCKIN' WELLNESS WALK/RUN (updated February 18th)

The Citizens for Health & Wellness, a community organization based in Versailles, will be holding their second annual Rockin' Wellness Walk/Run on Saturday, May 3rd, at Versailles High School.  The 5K/10K will start at 8:00 a.m., and the 2-mile walk at 8:15 a.m.   A half-mile kids fun run will start at 9:30 a.m.

For all the details, including a registration form, please click here.

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TA-TA TROT 5K RUN/WALK (posted February 11th)

The Lake area's second largest 5K, the Ta-Ta Trot, will be returning for its third annual event on Saturday, May 10th, at the Department of Public Safety Building in Eldon (map).

The run/walk starts after a balloon release at 8:00 a.m.  Race-day registration will be open from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.  If you register on or before April 25th, you'll be guaranteed a t-shirt on the day of the event.  All others receive t-shirts as supplies last.  The entry fee is $15.

For a flyer/registration form, click here.

The event is organized by the "We Bleed Pink" team of Jayna Gray, Christi Morris, Kari Salsman and Holly Thomas, and is a fund-raiser for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  The ladies will be participating in the Avon Walk in New York City on October 18-19th.

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BLUE RIBBON 5K RUN/WALK (updated February 25th)

The first annual Blue Ribbon 5K Run/Walk benefiting Camdenton-based Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S), will be held on Saturday, May 31st, at the Linn Creek City Park (map). The run/walk will start at 9:00 a.m., with race-day registration opening at 7:30 a.m.

If you pre-register on or before May 16th, the entry fee is $20, or $15 per person for families of three or more.  After that date, the entry fee rises to $25 (or $20 per person for families of three or more.) 

Click for a flyer/registration form.

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7th ANNUAL NIGHT GLOW 5K RUN/WALK (posted February 27th)

The Children's Learning Center's 7th annual run/walk gets a new name this year--the Night Glow 5K Run/Walk (known previously as the Summer Night Stride 5K)--but the fun is certain to be the same.   The new name comes with a greater emphasis on the "glow in the dark" feature of the evening event, similar to the numerous glow runs that have popped up around the country.

The event will be held on Friday, June 13th, at Camdenton High School.  The run/walk will start at 8:00 p.m., with race registration and the childrens' activities starting at 6:00 p.m.

More details and a flyer/registration form will be posted when available.

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HALF MARATHON, MARATHON & LONGER RACES IN MISSOURI AND VICINITY JANUARY 1 - AUGUST 31, 2014
Date	Race Name	Distances	Location
Jan 25	Runner's Choice 10K/20K Todd Raney (20K)	10K & 20K	Columbia, MO
Feb 8	Chocolate Rush Half Marathon & 5K	Half Marathon & 5K	Overland Park, KS
Feb 8	Psycho Wyco Run Toto Run	50K, 20-mile & 10-mile trail runs	Kansas City, KS
Feb 15	Heart of the Ozarks	Half Marathon & 10K	West Plains, MO
Feb 23	The Cowtown Todd Raney & Pete Russo	50K/Marathon/ Half/10K/5K	Fort Worth, TX
March 1	AdventureMax St. Louis Trail Run	Half Marathon & 10K	Innsbrook, MO
March 2	Little Rock Marathon	Marathon, Half & 10K	Little Rock, AR
March 14,15,16	3 Days of Syllamo	Day 1:  50K Day 2:  50 miles Day 3:  20K	Blanchard Springs, AR
March 15	Lucky 13.1 Half Marathon & 5K	Half Marathon & 5K	Peculiar, MO
March 15	Dublin's Pass ShamRox Run	15K & 5K	Springfield, MO
March 22	Sedalia Half Marathon	Half Marathon & 5K	Sedalia, MO
March 23	Relay & Run for 21	Half Marathon & Relay	St. Louis, MO
March 29	Highline Run for Scouting	Half Marathon & 5K	Springfield, MO
March 29	Forrest Gump Challenge	50 Miles, Marathon & Half	Reeds Spring, MO
March 30	Hogeye Marathon & Relays Todd Raney (marathon)	Marathon/Half/Relays	Fayetteville, AR
April 6	GO! St. Louis	Marathon/Relay/Half	St. Louis, MO
April 12	Rock the Parkway	Half Marathon & 5K	Kansas City, MO
April 12	Big Party Half Marathon	Half Marathon & 5K	Springfield, MO
April 12	Carmel Marathon Todd Raney (marathon)	Marathon, Relay, Half & 8K	Carmel, IN
April 19	Go Girl Run--Springfield	Half Marathon & 5K	Springfield, MO
April 26	Run for the Children	Half Marathon & 5K	Eldon, MO
April 26	Garmin Marathon	Marathon/Half//5K	Olathe, KS
April 26	Illinois Marathon Harold Selby (marathon)	Marathon/Half/10K/5K	Champaign-Urbana, IL
April ??	Kansas Half Marathon	Half Marathon & 5K	Lawrence, KS
April 26	Frisco Railroad Run	50 miles/50K/ Marathon/Half & 8K	Willard, MO
May 2-3	Outback in the Ozarks Lake-area team(s) being formed	200-mile team relay	Eureka Springs, AR
May 3	Trail to a Cure Ride/Run/Walk	Half Marathon, 10K & 5K	Rocheport, MO
May 4	Divas Half Marathon & 5K	Half Marathon & 5K	Branson, MO
May 10	Joplin Memorial Run	Half Marathon & 5K	Joplin, MO
May 10	Running with the Cows	Half Marathon & 5K	Bucyrus, KS
May 17	Bridge the Gap to Health	Half Marathon, 10K & 5K	Quincy, IL
May 24	Go Girl Run--Columbia	Half Marathon & 5K	Columbia, MO
May 24	Table Rock Half Marathon	Half Marathon & 5K	Branson, MO
June 7	Hospital Hill Run	Half Marathon, 10K & 5K	Kansas City, MO
June 14	Maryville Marathon	Marathon/Half/10K/5K	Maryville, MO
June 14	Marathon to Marathon Todd Raney (marathon)	Marathon, Relay, Half & 5K	Storm Lake, IA
June 21	JC Green Giant	13 miles	Jefferson City, MO
June 29	Double Road Race	10K+5K	Overland Park, KS
July 5	Midnight Madness 50-Miler	50 miles	Tulsa, OK
July 12	Psycho Psummer Trail Run	50K, 20-mile, 10-mile	Kansas City, KS

If you're planning to do an event and want to let others know, e-mail me and I'll add your name to the list of participants.

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2014 ARCHIVES

2013 ARCHIVES

2012 ARCHIVES

2011 ARCHIVES

2010 ARCHIVES

2009 ARCHIVES