Snailwalkers

So … I decided to sign up for this event … which is probably the most realistic event I have signed up for over the past couple of years of being in Japan … no thanks to Paul !!  I mean seriously … 2007 Tokyo Marathon? … 2008 Marathon? … Oxfam 100K Trailwalker?  All pure madness … but this is reasonable … not to mention at a beautiful location.  I even got my cousin (Ali) who recently moved to Japan to sign up as well.  I just hope he doesn’t end up hating me for getting him into this as much as I hate Paul for getting me into all those previous events!! 

I have to admit as well that I like the “global” idea and strategy that Nike has thought up.  It’s pretty cool … everything from the simultaneous (plus or minus a few hours for timezones) running of the event in 25 locations across the world … to the online training program … to the idea of everyone uploading their data to the Nike website.

So just 4 weeks away … I guess I better start running !!

A few bits of info on the event ….

What is the Nike+ Human Race?

On 08.31.08, Nike is making a statement like no other before. Nike is putting on the World’s Largest Running Event. Nike is hosting race events in 25 cities around the world, but by logging into nikeplus.com, every city and every road can become a race-day course.  This is going to be the World’s Largest Running Event and provide a global connection point for every athlete. By using tools that they created like Nike+ and the Nike+ SportBand, now people can participate from anywhere: a country road, an urban sidewalk or at one of the 25 designated Nike+ Human Race cities.

Where are the 25 official locations?

Austin , Bogotá , Buenos Aires , Caracas , Chicago , Istanbul , London , Los Angeles , Lima , Madrid , Melbourne , Mexico City , Munich , New York , Paris , Quito , Rome , São Paulo , Seoul , Shanghai , Singapore , Taipei ,Tokyo ,Warsaw , Vancouver

How many people will be participating?

The Nike+ Human Race stands to be the largest running event to date. They’re anticipating hundreds of thousands of people will take to the streets to run on 08.31.08 – either in one of the 25 physical race cities or in runners’ home cities around the world.

Adding up the mileage?
Runners can track their run with Nike+ iPod, Nike+ SportBand or by any other means, then log their miles and contribute to the global mileage occurring simultaneously on 08.31.08.

Well, the Snailwalkers have moved on from the insanity of the 2008 Oxfam 100K … and may I say again with great pride in our finish & fundraising efforts … and a few of us are already pondering new events coming up in the horizon … the Nike 10K Human Race (at Mt. Fuji) and the 2009 Tokyo Marathon.

We have a dedicated Tokyo Marathon Blog setup, so my comments on that ridiculous event will be posted there, but I will post my Nike 10K comments on this blog.

What’s with all this healthy stuff we’re doing ??  …. or “prettending” to be doing !!!