Free Republic

Paula Radcliffe defended her title at the New York City Marathon on Sunday to become the second woman to win the race three times. Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil won the men’s race for the second time in three years, passing Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco with about a mile to go. Unlike Radcliffe’s tight victories in 2004 and ‘07, the world record holder from Great Britain pulled away from Ludmila Petrova in the 22nd mile to win comfortably in two hours, 23 minutes, 56 seconds. “The last two times it’s been a really close finish at the end,” Radcliffe...

There's a lot of news swirling around Republican vice presidential nominee and Alaska governor Sarah Palin. We're not here to talk about that (fear not, political trash talkers, our forumites are all over it). Nor will we discuss the fact that tonight in St. Paul, Minnesota, she'll make history by becoming the first-ever female Republican veep nominee when she formally accepts the nomination of her party. Rather, we're here to inform you that, according to a forthcoming profile in The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Palin is a runner. Not just a "oh, I go jogging once in a while" kind...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been awarded a prime speaking slot at the Republican National Convention, joining at least five others at the St. Paul event who are considered potential running mates for Sen. John McCain. Perhaps the most atypical convention speaker, and potential running mate, is Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who ran for vice president as a Democrat in 2000 and is now an independent and one of McCain's strongest supporters. For Pawlenty, the speaking role on the climactic last night of the Sept. 1-4 convention caps months campaigning for McCain, raising his national profile and speculation about his...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who want to live a long and healthy life might want to take up running. A study published on Monday shows middle-aged members of a runner's club were half as likely to die over a 20-year period as people who did not run. Running reduced the risk not only of heart disease, but of cancer and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, researchers at Stanford University in California found. "At 19 years, 15 percent of runners had died compared with 34 percent of controls," Dr. Eliza Chakravarty and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Any...

Running on a regular basis can slow the effects of ageing, a study by US researchers shows. Elderly joggers were half as likely to die prematurely from conditions like cancer than non-runners. They also enjoyed a healthier life with fewer disabilities, the Stanford University Medical Center team found. Experts said the findings in Archives of Internal Medicine reinforced the importance that older people exercise regularly. Survival of the fittest The work tracked 500 older runners for more than 20 years, comparing them to a similar group of non-runners. All were in their 50s at the start of the study. Nineteen...

OK - I've started running again (dropped a pant size too!) but here is the problem: I have a bad knee that gets inflamed if I train too hard too quickly. I have always gotten good advice here in the past, so I am wondering if there are any runners on here that can point my way to a good set of shoes that provides maximum shock protection. I am currently using Asics gels.

Schools are telling children to change out of uniform to avoid being attacked on their way home, a government adviser revealed today. [ ED: Liberalism at its finest in the UK ]

Barack Obama resists Hillary Clinton as running mate By Toby Harnden in Washington Last Updated: 8:08PM BST 05/06/2008 Resisting a defiant push by Hillary Clinton to force him to name her as his running mate, Barack Obama has appeared publicly with three other prominent vice-presidential contenders. Mr Obama held events in Virginia alongside Senator Jim Webb, a Vietnam hero and former Republican, the loyal Governor Tim Kaine, one of the earliest top politicians to declare for the Illinois senator, and Mark Warner, a former Virginia governor with potent electoral appeal in conservative rural areas. In an interview with NBC News,...

• South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford: Strong conservative credentials, would be great for outreach to Mr. McCain's conservative critics. • Florida Gov. Charlie Crist: Popular governor who helped deliver Florida in the primary, could help deliver it in the general election. • Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas: Provides a conservative-leaning female face to round out the ticket. • Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty: Moderate Republican who was an early supporter of Mr. McCain's, could help deliver his swing state in the general election. • Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal: Rising star among Republicans, he has many already thinking president. • Rep....

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2008 – Coalition forces are making significant progress securing the former insurgent badlands of eastern Baghdad province, a commander in the region said today. Before the surge, fewer than 100 U.S. troops patrolled the area known as the Madain qadha, leaving an area about the size of the Capital Beltway ripe for insurgent activities that made their way into Baghdad. Army Col. Wayne Grigsby and his 3,500 soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade deployed to the region in March as the third of five surge brigades, with orders to block the flow of weapons, bombs...

Those close to Mr. Bloomberg said the 65-year-old billionaire is considering a White House bid, despite his repeated denials. Moreover, friends and advisers said, developments make a candidacy more conceivable Shifts atop the polls for both parties in early-voting states suggest uncertainty among some voters about the current crop of candidates, while an increasingly nasty campaign could badly bruise whomever comes out on top, Mr. Bloomberg's supporters said. Gridlock in Congress could open the door for Mr. Bloomberg's nonpartisan message. At the same time, national polls show voters worrying more about the economy and less about Iraq -- a trend...

If violence is decreasing in Iraq, it may be because insurgents “are running out of people to kill,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) said Monday. “There are fewer targets of opportunity,” Obey said in a speech to the National Press Club. Obey was responding to a question about reports touted by Republicans that security is improving in Iraq and that President Bush’s “surge” strategy is working. He stressed that military success has not led to political reconciliation. “The issue has never been military,” Obey said. “The issue has always been political improvement.” As the House’s top appropriator, Obey...

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon was stopped prematurely Sunday because of the dangers posed to runners in the hot weather. As of 11:45 a.m., police are stopping runners still participating in the race and directing them to Grant Park, according to News Affairs....

CBS) HAWTHORNE, Calif. Two children menaced by pit bulls in Hawthorne were safe Friday, but a woman running from the dogs broke her leg and a squad car being driven to the scene collided with another vehicle, injuring an officer and a motorist, police said. A report that two pit bulls were menacing a 16-year-old girl and her 6-year-old brother in the 2900 block of 141st Place at El Segundo Boulevard and Prairie Avenue was received by Hawthorne police about 8 a.m., Hawthorne police Lt. Michael Ishii said. An animal-control officer distracted the dogs with a chemical spray, and the...

MIAMI — A group of screaming runners makes its way through the streets of South Beach. Restaurant patrons look up from their meals with startled expressions. One runner blows on a conch shell. Others chant, "On, On!" At the halfway mark in the five-mile run they stop at a bar called Lost Weekends to hydrate themselves — with beer.

Friends say Fred Thompson is moving closer to announcing for the Republican nomination for President and is expected to make a formal announcement this summer. Yesterday I asked an old time friend and advisor to Thompson about what Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times editor (and longtime Thompson friend) Tom Griscom’s told me last month. Griscom had told me that he felt the former Volunteer State senator was leaning about “4 to 5 on a scale of 10” toward running." The reaction was, “I’d say he’s 90% toward running as of today.” HUMAN EVENTS also learned that, in late March, Thompson held a...

JACK BAUER, America's favorite counter-terrorism agent with the violent code of honor and the weird sadomasochistic bent, is squaring off against a stealthy and unforgiving new enemy. His fans. ON THE CLOCK: Kiefer Sutherland, as Jack, awaits his next appointment.

LONDON - Running in the most competitive men's marathon field ever, Ryan Hall (Big Bear Lake, Calif.), made his marathon debut in style, finishing seventh at the Flora London Marathon in a time of 2:08:24. Hall's time was the fastest debut marathon for an American man by 1:16. In a field that included multiple Olympic medalists and the current World Record holder, Hall not only ran with the leaders for more than 23 miles but was brave enough to take a turn at the lead before World Marathon champion Jaouad Gharib (MAR) made a bid to break away. As the...

The First Boston Marathon After experiencing the spirit and majesty of the Olympic Marathon, B.A.A. member and inaugural US Olympic Team Manager John Graham was inspired to organize and conduct a marathon in the Boston area. With the assistance of Boston businessman Herbert H. Holton, various routes were considered, before a measured distance of 24.5 miles from the Irvington Oval in Boston to Metcalf's Mill in Ashland was eventually selected. On April 19, 1897, John J. McDermott of New York, emerged from a 15-member starting field and captured the first B.A.A. Marathon in 2:55:10, and, in the process, forever secured...

NEW YORK - Civil rights activist Al Sharpton said Monday he is seriously considering a run for president. "I don't hear any reason not to," Sharpton, 52, said in an interview during an urban affairs conference sponsored by another civil rights leader, the Rev. Jesse Jackson. "If we're talking about the urban agenda, can you tell me anybody else in the field who's representing that right now?" Sharpton asked. "We clearly have a reason to run, and whether we do it or not we'll see over the next couple of months." Sharpton mounted a long-shot bid for the White House...