Minute 1: Banking on Spartan
If you win the New York Marathon, you get a check for $100,000. If you win the Ironman World Championship, you add $120,000 to your bank account. But if Jon Albon wins this weekend’s Spartan Ultra in Iceland, he will pocket $1,000,000. That would be the biggest prize of any endurance athlete in history. When Spartan founder Joe DeSena came up with this crazy idea, he probably never thought anyone actually had a chance of making him $1M poorer. DeSena threw out a challenge stating that if someone could win three of his biggest, toughest races in one year, they would earn the million bucks.
Albon has already won the first two legs in North Lake Tahoe and Sparta, Greece, and only needs another “W” this weekend to rack up the biggest payday in endurance sports. Trouble is, that last leg is an absolute bear. He needs to run 100 miles of laps on a challenging obstacle course in Iceland in less than 24 hours. Last year’s best performer only made it 71 miles. If Albon hits the mark, it’s unlikely he will go all Hollywood on us. “We have a simple lifestyle so we don’t need much money,” he told Runner’s World. “We could pay off the house loan and my wife’s student debt and just live comfortably. A cabin in mountains to go skiing would be cool to buy.”
#stealjoe’smillion
Minute 2: Spartan without the obstacles
Speaking of Spartan Race, they just announced a new option for athletes who like to run outside, but don’t like fire jumps, monkey bars and mud crawls. In 2019, Spartan will offer at least 10 trail runs spread across the U.S. The races promise the production values, swag and expo village hoopla of a Spartan obstacle race. Pricing for the 10K distance is about $55, while the 21K elite wave will set you back nearly $100. If your loved ones (and fans) want to cheer you on in person, they will need a $20 spectator pass.
Cleverly, Spartan partnered with Trail Running magazine and two well-respected names in the ultra community to lend more trail cred to the operation. (Check out Trail Running’s preview of the race series here.) Of course when you mix a new commercial venture with ultra purists, you are bound to see a few brush fires break out. One ultra podcaster has already weighed in with this thought about the pricing: “I get the feeling that Luis Escobar and Charlie Engle were hired and paid to market the series prior to them knowing about this participant fee.”
#nogooddeed…
Minute 3: Zen & the art of foam rolling
We all know that foam rollers are the miracle cure of the last decade. Their popularity has exploded in every gym and CrossFit studio in the world. In addition to self-myofascial release, however, new research shows that foam rolling can help your state of mind as well as your muscles. Done properly, foam rolling can act as a form of acupressure and calm the nervous system. One of the leading authors on the subject has just released her list of 6 foam roller exercises for keeping stress in check.
#chillingwithmyfoamies
Minute 4: The Super Bowl of high school running
The best high school runners in the U.S. compete in the most important race of their young careers this weekend. The Foot Locker XC Championships will crown a boys and a girls champion on a 5K course in San Diego. The event is packed with college coaches and success can mean scholarship offers and a mini burst of fame. The list of runners who have podiumed in the past reads like a U.S. running hall of fame roll call: Jenny Simpson, Jen Rhines, Ryan Hall, Alan Webb, Molly Huddle, Adam Goucher, etc. (Shalane Flanagan somewhat famously blew up at the regional qualifier her senior year and never made it to the national event, despite being a favorite for the U.S. title.) Competitor.com provides a good sense of the history, drama and color behind the event.
#superbad
Minute 5: Holiday Cheer
We continue to scan the “best of” lists and holiday shopping guides for our endurance and work-out friends. We like these new lists that emerged this week. Here are the 14 best gifts for trail runners and the 7 best fitness books to buy in 2018. We also love this deal from Reebok that expires this weekend: get 50% off on orders over $150.
#shoppingforsweaters
Minute 6: Daily Inspiration
We are suckers for stories about finding slivers of victory in every defeat. The story of Derek Redmond at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics is an epic tale of perseverance and humility. The favorite going into the 400M finals, Derek tore his hamstring midway through the race. Instead of quitting, he gutted out a finish with some help from his dad, who’d busted through security to lend a hand. Cheesy music? Check. Grainy video? Yup. Still gets us every time? Absolutely.
We’re glad to see you’re interested in our content. Check out the Six Minute Mile website or subscribe.
Get faster, get stronger, get inspired.