Ironman 70.3 Scotland has been announced as the eighth event in the UK and Ireland’s Ironman calendar today, which include Ironman UK, Ironman Wales, Ironman 70.3 UK, Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire, Ironman 70.3 Dublin, Ironman 70.3 Weymouth as well as Velothon Wales. The race will take place on 2nd July 2017.
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“The UK has seen a perpetual growth in athlete participation and there is clear demand for more races,” said Kevin Stewart, Regional Director of Northern Europe for Ironman. “We are excited to be expanding to Scotland for the first time and to now be able to offer events in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, giving thousands of athletes the opportunity to cross an Ironman finish line in the UK and Ireland.”
Approximately 2,000 athletes are anticipated to head to Edinburgh, the country’s capital, and the surrounding East Lothian and Midlothian countryside for this inaugural race.
The Ironman 70.3 Edinburgh will start at the historic Gosford House and feature a 1.2-mile (1.9km) sea swim from Gosford Sands on the Firth of Forth. Upon exiting the swim, athletes will then embark on a 56-mile (90.1km), one-loop bike ride on closed roads through the rolling countryside of East Lothian, Midlothian, and through the outskirts of the city centre of Edinburgh and Dalkeith country park. The athletes will then arrive in the transition area at the spectacular setting of Arthur’s Seat, a dormant volcano, in Holyrood Park. The athletes will head off on a beautiful multi lap 13.1-mile (21.2km) run within Holyrood Park before crossing the finish line.
“As Ironman continues to grow in stature, attracting the attention of serious athletes and media worldwide, we are delighted to be supporting their first visit north of the border through EventScotland’s International Programme,” said Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events. “We expect the Edinburgh stage to be one of the best supported on the IRONMAN 70.3 calendar, and we look forward to welcoming thousands of competitors and spectators in summer next year.”
The UK’s fastest Kona finisher and Scotsman David McNamee also confirmed to 220 that IM 70.3 Edinburgh is firmly in his own racing plans for 2017, and is looking forward to an M-Dot event on home soil: “It’s really exciting news and will help showcase long course racing in Scotland. I did my first ever triathlon in Edinburgh so it’s great to have the opportunity now to go back to where it all began.”
Fellow Scottish long course pro Fraser Cartmell also said: “Having lived and trained in Scotland throughout my career and having to always travel afar to compete in Ironman events, I was absolutely delighted to hear that Ironman 70.3 is coming to Edinburgh, a city that I am extremely fond of, where I studied at University and have spent so much time through life. I know all fellow Scottish triathletes will be equally thrilled at the prospect of a home Ironman 70.3 event. I cannot wait to stand on the start line!”
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General registration for IM 70.3 Edinburgh will open at 1pm GMT on Monday 19th December. A $25,000 USD professional prize purse will also be up for grabs, plus 35 age-group qualifying slots for the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championship taking place in Chattanooga, Tennessee on the 9th and 10th September 2017.
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Researchers from the University of Arizona compared the brain scans of young male cross country runners to those who haven’t engaged in regular physical activity for at least a year. Participants were aged 18-25 and had comparable body mass index and educational levels.
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The runners, overall, showed greater functional connectivity – or connections between distinct brain regions – within several areas of the brain, including the frontal cortex, which is important for cognitive functions such as planning, decision-making and the ability to switch attention between tasks.
The study was designed by UA running expert David Raichlen, an associate professor of anthropology, and UA psychology professor Gene Alexander, who studies brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease as a member of the UA’s Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute.
“One of the things that drove this collaboration was that there has been a recent proliferation of studies, over the last 15 years, that have shown that physical activity and exercise can have a beneficial impact on the brain, but most of that work has been in older adults,” said co author David Raichlen associate professor of anthropology
“This question of what’s occurring in the brain at younger ages hasn’t really been explored in much depth, and it’s important. Not only are we interested in what’s going on in the brains of young adults, but we know that there are things that you do across your lifespan that can impact what happens as you age, so it’s important to understand what’s happening in the brain at these younger ages.”
“These activities that people consider repetitive actually involve many complex cognitive functions — like planning and decision-making — that may have effects on the brain.”
Since functional connectivity often appears to be altered in aging adults, and particularly in those with Alzheimer’s or other neurodegenerative diseases, it’s an important measure to consider, Alexander said. And what researchers learn from the brains of young adults could have implications for the possible prevention of age-related cognitive decline later on.
“One of the key questions that these results raise is whether what we’re seeing in young adults — in terms of the connectivity differences — imparts some benefit later in life,” said Alexander. “The areas of the brain where we saw more connectivity in runners are also the areas that are impacted as we age, so it really raises the question of whether being active as a young adult could be potentially beneficial and perhaps afford some resilience against the effects of aging and disease.”
These findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
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The International Triathlon Union (ITU) has named Edmonton in Canada as the host city for the ITU World Championships Grand Final in 2020.
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The event will mark the third time Canada has hosted the World Championships with Edmonton having organised the race in 2001 and as recently as 2014.
Welcome to the ITU Edmonton Grand Finals!
Edmonton has also been the site of nine ITU World Cup events, and has hosted a stop on the World Triathlon Series every year since organising the Grand Final two years ago.
“Edmonton has been a staple city on the ITU calendar for many years,” ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado said. “The city provides unprecedented support to the event, while the local organising committee offers an exceptional experience for both elite and age grouper athletes. It will be a fantastic place to end the 2020 season after the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Last year, Edmonton hosted a World Paratriathlon Event, which they will do again in 2017 as host of a stop on the World Paratriathlon Series.
WORLDS HISTORY
The ITU Triathlon World Championships were first held in Avignon, France in 1989 and were won by triathlon legends Mark Allen and Erin Baker.
In 2009, the championships were revamped, expanding the former single-day World Championship race into a multi-city global series, culminating with the ITU Triathlon World Championship Grand Final. Athletes earn points throughout the season and those who win the overall series are crowned the ITU Triathlon World Champions.
The 2017 ITU World Championships will be held at the Grand Final in Rotterdam, followed by Gold Coast in 2018 and Lausanne in 2019.
Official dates for the 2020 World Championships will be confirmed and announced imminently, say the ITU.
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We have asked the ITU for news about the age-group races and are awaiting their feedback
Only two weeks after announcing the launch of Long Course Weekend in Jervis Bay, Australia Activity Wales Events have announced it will have another European event in Alcudia, Mallorca in November 2017.
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The Long Course Weekend, which originated in Wales six years ago, is a three-day sporting festival where athletes swim on Friday, cycle on Saturday and run on Sunday. There is a multitude of distances and a special medal for those that enter the Full Long Course Weekend and do the Long distance every day.
“We are delighted to have been able to come here to Mallorca and secure this slot in the race calendar,” says Matthew Evans of Long Course Weekend. “The Long Course Weekend is very much an experience and allows a range of people to get involved in the weekend. We will be working very closely with the local community to ensure the Mallorca experience is unparalleled
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Entries are scheduled to open in early January and are expected to fill very quickly. To register your interest or for more information you can visit www.lcwmallorca.com.
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Tokyo — A 41-year-old man screaming “You die!” ignited a flammable liquid at the door of a revered animation studio in Kyoto, authorities said, setting off an explosive blaze that rapidly consumed the three-story building. Officials said 33 people were confirmed dead in the fire. Mikihide Daikoku of the Kyoto fire department said 36 more were injured, 10 of them critically.
Eyewitness cellphone videos show enormous, thick black clouds of smoke billowing from the structure.The suspect’s identity and motives remained a mystery. Police said the man, who was being treated for injuries he sustained in the fire himself, was neither a current nor former employee of Kyoto Animation Company, a renowned producer of hit TV series. Affectionately known as KyoAni, the company was founded in 1981, and has a devoted fan base worldwide.Residents of the densely populated Fushimi Ward neighborhood, responding to the terrified screams and pleas for help, assisted in the rescue of victims, many of whom emerged singed, shoe-less and bleeding — some leaving bloody footprints on the sidewalk.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his condolences to the victims of the blaze in a tweet, calling it an “arson murder spree.” “I’m speechless,” Abe said. “I pray for the souls of those who have passed away. I would like to express my condolences to all of the injured and wish them a speedy recovery.”Work to recover the dead and wounded from the building was slowed by the instability of the badly damaged structure.The suspect was burned on his feet, hands and chest, and collapsed nearby while attempting to flee, officials said. As he was treated for the non-life-threatening injuries, police said he confessed would remain in custody. Police said multiple knives were also discovered at the scene.Police did not give a motive, but a witness told Japanese TV that the attacker complained that something of his had been stolen, possibly by the company, the Associated Press reported.”He sounded he had a grudge against the society, and he was talking angrily to the policemen, too, though he was struggling with pain,” she told Kyodo News. “He also sounded he had a grudge against Kyoto Animation.” A total of 67 employees were on duty, police said. Of those, 10 were discovered in a state of cardiac arrest on the second floor. One victim was quickly declared dead and ten others sustained serious injuries, while 26 others escaped with light injuries. The incident occurred around 10:35 a.m. local time, at Kyoto Animation’s No. 1 studio. An expert interviewed by CBS News partner network TBS TV said the compactness of the approximately 7,500-sq. foot structure and the fact that there was only one exit made it especially vulnerable to an attack on the building’s entrance. The perpetrator apparently went to great lengths to plan the crime and obtain gasoline, the sale of which is tightly controlled in Japan; it is not sold in containers.
Fans from around the world took to Twitter to urge donations and to express disbelief, horror and sadness. “Kyoto Animation are a rarity in the anime business,” wrote Twitter user Mike Toole. “They treat their people well, they strive to own part of their works, and their creations are constantly excellent, at the very least on a technical level.”A user named AalalasesPen said, “To think it was only a few nights ago that my friends and I gathered…to watch A Silent Voice. I’m at a loss for words.”Devin Howard wrote simply, “Why the hell would somebody do this???”Some speculated that the suspect might be a disgruntled “otaku,” a Japanese word referring to socially awkward “nerds” who obsess over anime and manga comic books. In recent years, reclusive obsessives have been blamed for committing sensational crimes — a charge anime fans say unfairly and inaccurately characterizes both those who enjoy cartoons, and the estimated 1 million or so “hikkikomori,” or social recluses.”It’s not ‘otaku commits crime,’ but the criminal happened to be a consumer of anime,” a 20-something female anime fan was quoted as saying in the Business Journal publication. Anime and manga are so pervasive throughout Japanese society, she said, that it is unfair to accuse the pop culture of fostering criminal minds.
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Alistair Brownlee has come second, behind tennis world number one and 2016 Wimbledon winner Andy Murray, at BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In third place was showjumper Nick Skelton who, like the other two, also won gold in Rio.
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The awards were held at a glittering ceremony at the Genting Arena in Birmingham and were presented by Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan.
Alistair was the first triathlete to be nominated for the award and it followed a fantastic 2016 when he became the first triathlete ever to defend his Olympic gold in Rio.
But it was his feats at the 2016 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Cozumel, Mexico, in September that shot him to global prominence. The video of Alistair running with an exhausted Jonathan to the finishing line became the BBC’s most watched ever. Alistair could have won the race, but sacrificed victory to help his stricken brother across the line.
These emotional scenes were once again shown in the programme, earning Alistair one of the biggest cheers of the night from the show’s audience. And when asked what he said to Jonny in that moment in Mexico, he said, in a typical Yorkshire fashion, that he called him a ” **** idiot!”
Congrats Alistair Brownlee – you did triathlon proud – and yes you are supposed to ask for our votes!
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Are you supposed to ask for votes in this situation? #notsureoftheprotocol #spoty #VoteBrownlee pic.twitter.com/XbYXu9WBgZ
— Alistair Brownlee (@AliBrownleetri) December 18, 2016
The other nominations were:
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Nicola Adams – Boxing, Gareth Bale – Football, Alistair Brownlee – Triathlon, Sophie Christiansen – Equestrian, Kadeena Cox – Athletics/Cycling, Mo Farah – Athletics, Jason Kenny – Cycling, Laura Kenny – Cycling, Andy Murray – Tennis, Adam Peaty – Swimming, Kate Richardson-Walsh – Hockey, Nick Skelton – Equestrian, Dame Sarah Storey – Cycling, Jamie Vardy – Football, Max Whitlock – Gymnastics, Danny Willett – Golf.
Moscow — Gigantic forest fires have regularly raged through the vast expanses of Russia’s Siberia, but the magnitude of this year’s blazes has reached an exceptional level, with fears of a long-term impact on the environment. As fires sweep across millions of acres, enveloping entire cities in black smoke and noxious fumes, environmentalists warn of a disaster threatening to accelerate the melting of the Arctic.
More than 7.9 million acres were in the grip of fires on Monday, mainly in the vast regions of Yakutia in the north and Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk in Siberia, authorities said. The fires, triggered by dry thunderstorms in temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit, were spread by strong winds, Russia’s federal forestry agency said. Wildfires could grow exponentially as climate warms, study warnsThe acrid smoke has affected not only small settlements but also major cities in Western Siberia and the Altai region as well as the Urals such as Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg, and disrupted air travel.
“The smoke is horrible. I am choking and dizzy,” pensioner Raisa Brovkina, who was hospitalised in Russia’s third-largest city Novosibirsk, told state television. “Transformed into an ecological disaster”Aside from health fears for the local population, environmentalists warn the fires may accelerate global warming. “The forest fires in the eastern part of the country have long stopped being a local problem,” the Russian branch of Greenpeace said in a statement. “It has transformed into an ecological disaster with consequences for the entire country.” According to the environmental group, almost 12 million hectares were burnt this year, causing significant CO2 emissions and reducing the future capacity of forest to absorb the carbon dioxide.Study: Planting 1 trillion trees could be “solution” to climate change”Then there is the added problem that soot falling on ice or snow melts darkens it, thus reducing the reflectiveness of the surface and trapping more heat,” the World Meteorological Organization told AFP in a statement. Some scientists posted satellite images from NASA showing the clouds of smoke reaching Arctic areas. Greenpeace Russia expert Grigory Kuksin said the soot and ashes accelerate the melting of the Arctic ice and permafrost — the permanently frozen layer that has begun melting — releasing gases that reinforce global warming. Kuksin called the impact on the climate “very serious.”
“It is comparable to the emissions of major cities,” he said. “The more fires affect the climate, the more conditions are created for new dangerous fires.”Greenpeace has launched a petition demanding Russian authorities do more to fight the fires. An “economically impractical” fightBut the situation is complicated by the fact that Russia does not have enough money to contain the wildfires, environmentalists add.The majority of the fires rage in remote or inaccessible areas and authorities make the decision to extinguish them only if the estimated damage exceeds the cost of the operation, experts say.Otherwise, the role of Russian authorities is limited to monitoring the wildfires, they say.Kuksin of Greenpeace said Russian officials do not prioritize financial resources to put out fires in remote areas, taking issue with such an approach.”The maximum amount possible should be put out from the start,” he said.
“We need to plan and allocate resources, but we continue to save money claiming it is ‘economically impractical.'”
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Boardman Bikes have been granted planning permission to build a new performance centre near Evesham in Worcesterhire. The centre will include a cycling specific wind tunnel, physiology testing suite, activity area and a concept store with café. The centre aims to offer a unique experience for all cyclists and triathletes of all levels, from Olympic and Paralympic champions to weekend cyclists.
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Chris Boardman said “This project has been a dream of mine for more than 6 years and I’m delighted the finishing line is now in sight. The possibilities for what the centre can deliver are truly amazing; in fact I don’t think it’s overly dramatic to say it will be revolutionary.”
Construction of the 18,000sqft site is anticipated to start in the spring with a grand opening scheduled for winter 2017.
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Based on the edge of the Cotswolds it will be easily accessible by road, rail, or air.
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Boardman Bikes Managing Director Andy Smallwood stated “It’s been a long time in the planning but following our close collaboration with Wychavon Council we are now ready to take the Performance Centre project from concept to reality. The combination of world class facilities and unique customer experience will make the new site a true destination for cyclists not just locally but from across the UK and Internationally. To say we are excited about this new chapter in the Boardman brands history is an understatement.”
Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have just faced their greatest challenge ever – forget going 70.3, forget Olympics, forget SPOTY – the real question is ‘who is the fastest down a waterslide?’
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Joined by professional triathlete and rising star Lucy Charles and Olympic open-water swimmer Jack Burnell, the group were put through their paces with a number of challenges at Alton Towers Water Park.
The athletes took an initial timed run down the slide, before being given the chance to spend £50 each to upgrade their HUUB products to increase their overall speed.
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The second part of the HUUB Waterslide Challenge will be released in the coming weeks.
Alistair Brownlee said: “Jonny and I have a lot of experience in high pressure endurance competition, but I can safely say this was a first for us. More than anything we all wanted to win! It was freezing cold but we all forgot that when the competition started.”
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HUUB founder Dean Jackson: “All of our elite level ambassadors think they are the quickest, so we thought we would even the playing field and see who could cope with a few new situations! HUUB is all about using science and technology to gain an advantage so we thought we would try out a few new ideas with the guys!”
Thanks to Sony our competition package for the 220 Awards prize draw now includes a framed signed Brownlee tri-suit, worn by Jonny at WTS Cape Town as well as £100 worth of triathlon kit.
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Jonny came second at WTS Cape Town 2016, just five seconds behind the winner Fernando Alarza from Spain.
To enter and be in with a chance of winning you just need to vote for your favourites before March 17 2017. A winner will then be chosen at random once the competition has closed and terms and conditions apply.
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This competition is now closed
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