More than 200 runners in last weekend's big Shenzhen Half Marathon were caught cheating by traffic cameras as they snuck through trees, cutting out up to three kilometers from the course. (I did similar things in high school gym class although my motivation was not the competitive spirit but rather laziness.) Other cheaters in Shenzhen wore fake number bibs or ran under others' names. From The Guardian:
Xinhua (news agency) quoted organisers as saying: “We deeply regret the violations that occurred during the event. Marathon running is not simply exercise, it is a metaphor for life, and every runner is responsible for him or herself.”
ther marathon events in China are reported to have started using facial recognition technology to track runners.
Competitors in other marathons are now kitted out with electronic chips that register runners’ progress as they pass over timing mats installed around the course. This provides more accurate times – but it also gives organisers, and anyone who cares to look, a wealth of data to examine for suspicious results.
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Behold the personification of a ritalin pill and an anxiety attack. Sports Illustrated reports on Gritty, the Philadephia Flyers' new mascot.
Philadelphia Flyers fans were in for a bit of a shock today: the Pennsylvania hockey team unveiled their new official mascot to the public. His name is Gritty. He looks like a rejected Muppet creation, a Where the Wild Things Are misfit or a stuffed animal gone seriously, terrifyingly rogue. He’s a bright orange, furry creature of bizarre design.
This video clip shows Gritty's introduction to a group of children. The screams/cheers ratio is worthy of note. Read the rest
“Creating golf holes with pencils is how I pass the time. Maybe one day I'll get to play the game I've only imagined.”
A man who was serving 39 years to life in prison decided to started drawing golf courses. His art was really cool. One thing led to another, and his drawings made their way to Golf Digest, which then wrote about him, realized his conviction sounded dubious, investigated, and guess what.
Valentino Dixon is now free. Read the rest
King County Council was ambushed by a series of surprise amendments to its meeting on Monday that resulted in $135,000,000 being diverted from hotel lodging tax funds earmarked for affordable housing, arts, and tourism boosting, to effect repairs to the Mariners stadium, despite the team being valued at nearly $1.5 billion.
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Wide World of Sports Video Games picks just one classic video game to represent each sport and organizes them into a neat gallery. It's the work of Tim Szetela, with Jason Eppink and John Sharp.
Players compete in more than 8,000 different sports around the world, but many sports video games focus on baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. Wide World of Sports Video Games explores the range of sports that have been adapted to video games over their 60-year history, featuring 123 different sports from Aerobics to Zumba.
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I don't think I've been around a basketball in two decades, never mind played with one. (Who am I kidding? It's easily been three decades.) Yet, I can't help but dig this bright yellow Smiley basketball by Chinatown Market ($59). Dare I say that it put a smile on my face? (Yeah, I'd better not.)
(Cool Hunting) Read the rest
Toni Bou is famous for making seemingly impossible jumps between rocks, stumps, and other obstacles. Check out this compilation of some of his best moves so far this year. Read the rest
This making-of documentary not only shows how much preparation goes into a YouTube-friendly high-octane stunt, but it's also an interesting explanation of why BASE jumper Sean Chuma goes to such great lengths. Read the rest
Dressage sensation Wallace the mule was rescued in Ireland, and his new owner quickly saw his potential as a dressage competitor. It took a lot of work to overturn his intial ban on competing, but now he's won the UK dressage championship. Read the rest
The Game Changers is a new documentary about the vegan movement within sports and physically demanding occupations. It's by Louie Psihoyos (director of The Cove) and executive produced by James Cameron. Read the rest
This remarkable footage of wingsuit pilots hurtling through a cloud cave may leave you wondering how they got the shot. It's with a technique called overcapture, where 360 video is manipulated in postproduction to allow for panning and other effects. Read the rest
Ross Edgley is swimming all the way around Britain, which is being followed both above and below the ocean's surface. A large minke whale visited him the other day. Read the rest
This intense drone footage of a slackliner in Portugal starts off crazy and gets even crazier as massive waves knock him off balance. Read the rest
Max Roucheau barely avoids getting his tow line caught in his spokes as he barrels through a field and jumps over a residential street. Read the rest
CeramicSpeed makes bikes that use a drive shaft instead of a chain. Shane Miller got a close look at Eurobike 2018. Read the rest
From first sketches to first bass caught, watch Nate Marling create a fishing lure that looks and moves like a cricket. Read the rest
