Endurance Events This Weekend

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By: Kraig Becker
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norman stadler kona 2006
There are a couple of big endurance events this weekend that are worth mentioning, as both garner plenty of attention and are popular amongst outdoor athletes and arm chair racers alike.

First up, we have the 24 Hours of Moab, taking place in Moab, Utah of course. This year, this iconic mountain bike race will host more than 4000 riders from around the world in an endurance biking event that will test even the strongest of athletes. As the name implies, solo and team riders will be peddling for 24 hours straight, starting tomorrow, Oct. 10th, at 11 AM local time. The course will wind through the remote and rugged backcountry near Moab, and will continue through the night. The object is to complete as many laps of the 15 mile course as you can within the 24-hour period, weighing in any sleep strategies, pacing, and so on.

The other major endurance event taking place tomorrow is of course the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. This is, of course, one of the most demanding triathlons on the planet, with the top athletes from around the globe swimming, biking, and running their way through a tremendously challenging course. The competitors will face a 2.4 mile swim to get things started, and once they’re out of the water, they’ll proceed to their bikes, where they’ll tackle 112 miles of riding. When they’re done on the bike, if they’re still standing, they’ll then go on a full marathon, 26.2 miles.

There are 1800 participants in this year’s race, and they’ve either earned their way in by winning qualifying events around the planet, or they were lucky enough to get a spot through a special lottery. Tomorrow, few of them will actually feel “lucky” at all. Should be another great race.

Good luck to the competitors in both events. Race strong and race safe, but don’t forget to have some fun along the way.

Kraig Becker
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