Evans Makes It Eight In A Row at XTERRA Lock 4 Blast
Monday, July 19, 2010
By Andrew Marsh: XTERRA Point Series Co-Manager

XTERRA returned to Gallatin, TN for the twelfth consecutive year this past Saturday anchoring a three part weekend of off-road fun at Lock 4 Park. The XTERRA Lock 4 Blast off-road triathlon kicked off the festivities Saturday morning. A 2.2 mile MTB Time Trial ripped through the woods that evening – while the annual Lock 4 Challenge XC MTB race capped the action Sunday morning.

The triathlon began with an 880 yard swim in Old Lake Hickory. Exiting the water first was XTERRA Pro Craig Evans in 0:10:34. Consistency is key for Craig – his time has wavered only two to nine seconds over the last four years! Next out was Billy Pirtle (32, Brentwood, TN) in 11:57. Third to exit was Eric Ford (33, Hendersonville) of Bikers Choice Team#2 a full two minutes down on Evans.

The solo ladies competition was much tighter with Lori Goldweber (Birmingham, AL) marking 0:14:34 followed by 2009 defending champion Julia Radmann (Smyrna, GA) 0:15:19, and Alexandra Akemann (Northville, MI) 30 seconds back in 0:15:49. The spectators cheered as the top three ladies departed T1 within sight of each other.

As they did last year the Bikers Choice teams represented the biggest threat to Evans’ Lock 4 dynasty. Biker Tanner Hurst rode BC Team #1 from 11th after the swim into second place. His 1:01:25 bike split was the day’s second quickest but couldn’t fill the 5 minute lead Evans had as he left T2. Evans’ 1:00:48 was his slowest split over the past six years, yet still out paced all others.

Blake Voges (26, Santa Claus, IN) moved past Pirtle on the second lap of the bike to take over the solo amateur lead. Dustin Greer (24, Chapmansboro, TN) followed Pirtle into T2 having passed 25 other athletes during the bike.

The XTERRA Lock 4 Blast is one of the most spectator friendly races on the XTERRA circuit. Unlike most triathlons – you can watch the race unfold from the comfort of a chair in the shade as both Bike and Run course are two loop affairs with athletes returning to the start/finish/party area after the first lap. The ladies bike was a great example – at the midway point the women’s front runner spot was still up for grabs as Goldweber, Radmann, and Akemann, raced past the crowd still within striking distance of one another. Somewhere on the second 6 mile loop Akemann literally put the pedal down posting the best ladies split of the day (1:20:38) and departed T2 a full two minutes up on Radmann and Goldweber who were literally seconds apart as they headed out onto the run.

Evans was on autopilot as he cruised past to start his second run lap. Little did he know that Charlie Jordan (18, Gallatin) BC Team#1 runner and Station Camp HS track and XC stand out was gunning for him. Jordan smoked the 4.5 mile single track in 28:40 outpacing Evans’ 30:18 but couldn’t close the gap. Craig Evans won the XTERRA Lock 4 Blast for the eighth consecutive time in 1:41:40. Bikers Choice Team #1 crossed in 1:45:17.

Blake Voges held his lead to take the solo amateur title – his second of the XTERRA season – in 1:52:01. Mark Rudder (46, Dunwoody, GA) ran a 31:11 to pass both Pirtle and Greer to take the runner up solo spot in 1:54:36. Billy Pirtle held on for 3rd (1:56:47).

Having been the bridesmaid at XTERRA Last Stand and Torn Shirt this year Alexandra Akemann was thrilled to take the women’s XTERRA Lock 4 Blast title in 2:12:25. Lori Goldweber couldn’t catch Akemann (2:14:32) but did out run Julia Radmann (2:18:44) to take second place.

Charlotte Mahan (Lenoir City, TN) remains unbeaten this season moving into a tie for first place with Libby Harrow (Vero Beach, FL) in the SE Women’s 60+ AG.

Athletes representing nine states enjoyed post race festivities that included ice cold watermelon, lunch from Subway, a Gatorade chugging contest, rock-paper-scissors championship, and other tomfoolery.

In addition to sponsoring all the weekend festivities the Bikers Choice bike shop was well represented on the medals podium. Both BC teams won their division – Mens and CoEd - in the XTERRA relay competition. Tanner Hurst had the legs to dominate the Time Trail on Saturday. He scorched the 2.2 mile single track in 08:40. BC rider Matt Schupp took second. On Sunday Hurst was looking to avenge his teams’ second place to Craig Evans XTERRA win when he took XC Cat1 top honors out pacing Evans – also riding for BC – by over a minute and a half.

Race Director David Hardin, the Gallatin Parks Department and crew continue to offer top shelf XTERRA and MTB fun at Lock 4 Park. Thanks for a great action packed weekend.

Sourwood 5K Practice Runs Set for Wednesday Nights

Planning to run in the 22nd running of the Sourwood 5K in Black Mountain?

Race organizers are hosting a practice run each Wednesday night - starting July 7th until the Wednesday prior to the race August 11th.

The practices start at 5:30 p.m. and follow the exact course of the Sourwood 5K, which takes place August 14th. Athletes of any pace or experience are welcome to join this free 5K practice run starting at the Cheshire Fitness Club.

No registration is required but reservations are requested by calling 669-1092 or e-mailing Sourwood5K@eventmercenaries.com. For more information, visit http://www.sourwood5k.com/.

Max King, Fiona Docherty win XTERRA Trail Run Worlds 2009

Max King, Fiona Docherty win XTERRA Trail Run Worlds 2009

[XTERRA/TEAM Unlimited: 12/06/09] Ka’a'awa, Oahu-Hawaii - Max King, 29, from Bend, Oregon and Fiona Docherty, 34, from New Zealand won the XTERRA Trail Running World Championship at Kualoa Ranch this morning and each won $2,000, airfare from Hawaiian Airlines, and a host of other prizes for their efforts.

More than 1,000 runners from 35 states and nine countries participated in the day’s 3.1-mile, 6.2-mile, and 12-mile races, which were a benefit for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Hawaii.
King won the men’s 12-mile championship race in 1:14:26, nearly three-minutes ahead of runner-up Joe Gray, the reigning USA Track and Field Mountain Runner of the Year. It’s the second straight year King has won the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship and just a month ago he won the USA Track and Field National Trail Marathon (six days after finishing 18th at the New York City Marathon).

“This course was a lot harder than last year, it felt like 20 miles, not 12” smiled King.

Epic conditions greeted runners for the 9am start – sunny and clear with cool island breezes coming in off the ocean. The undulating course featured 3,000 feet of elevation gain while weaving up-and-down the verdant cliff faces in Ka’a'awa Valley and into the dense rainforest of Hakipu`u Valley at Kualoa Ranch.

King (#1) went out hard from the start followed in step by Gray (#6) and Ben Bruce (#2) though the early stages, but before the midway point it turned into a two-man race.

“Joe (Gray) was with me for quite a while and I was afraid of him on the hills because he’s so good in the mountains. Both he and Ben are great runners and I knew I had my work cut out for me,” said King.

It wasn’t until about the 7-mile mark when King pulled away, and solidified his position as the “King of XTERRA Trail Running”.

“This valley is really a grand stage for an event like this, the scenery is just amazing with the cliffs and the ocean and the ridgeline single track trails. Plus, I’m really happy to be in Hawaii right now, its 15-degrees in Bend.”

DOCHERTY – ANDERSON – FUHR … 1, 2, 3 IN THE WOMEN’S RACE

In the women’s race Docherty (a Kiwi living in Boulder, Colorado) sprinted to the lead in the first mile and never looked back, crossing the finish line in 1:30:05, more than two-minutes ahead of last year’s winner Cindy Anderson from Kailua, Hawaii.

“This was an amazing, tough and awesome course,” said Docherty (pictured), the 2003 Duathlon World Champion and sister of two-time Olympic triathlon medalist Bevan Docherty. “This was my first XTERRA, but I’ve always loved trail running. Thankfully I am strong on the hills, so I was able to push it and hold on.”

In the race for second Heather Fuhr, a 15-time Ironman Champ and the 1997 Ironman World Champ, was in front of Anderson until about the halfway point.

“I started out hard, but Fiona passed me within about a mile, and I wasn’t able to catch up to Heather until about mile six,” said Anderson. “”I’m not usually good on the downhills so that was tough for me along with the heat, but this year’s race was fun and I ran six minutes faster than last year, so really psyched to take 2nd.”

Fuhr held on for third, followed by Kiwi standout Ady Ngawati and long-time XTERRA pro Jenny Tobin.

Complete Results . Photo gallery at xterraphotos.com

2009 XTERRA TRAIL RUN WORLD CHAMP MONEY WINNERS

MALE

PLACE FIRST NAME LAST NAME AGE HOMETOWN TIME PURSE
1st Max King 29 Bend, OR 1:14:26 $2,000
2nd Joseph Gray 25 Lakewood, WA 1:17:21 $1,000
3rd Ben Bruce 27 Eugene, OR 1:20:43 $750
4th John Tribbia 27 Boulder, CO 1:25:47 $500
5th Fujio Miyachi 31 Tokyo, Japan 1:26:12 $300
6th Jeff Campbell 38 Atlanta, GA 1:26:45 $250
7th Andy Ames 46 Boulder, CO 1:28:53 $200

FEMALE

PLACE FIRST NAME LAST NAME HOMETOWN TIME PURSE
1st Fiona Docherty 34 Boulder, CO/New Zealand 1:30:05 $2,000
2nd Cynthia Anderson 26 Kailua, HI 1:33:01 $1,000
3rd Heather Fuhr 41 Encinitas, CA 1:38:01 $750
4th Ady Ngawati 32 Whangarei, New Zealand 1:38:53 $500
5th Jenny Tobin 41 Boise, ID 1:40:29 $300
6th Jessica Tranchina 32 Honolulu, HI 1:41:36 $250
7th Rachel Cieslewicz 29 Salt Lake City, UT 1:42:13 $200

The Game Is In Us

Astronomer believes in reaching for stars

Astronomer believes in reaching for stars
By Trey Garman: Special to The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, November 27, 2009

Nick Kaiser, a 55-year-old astronomer at the University of Hawai'i, has perhaps the most ambitious professional and personal to-do list on the planet.

At work, he is tasked with saving the world by "finding killer asteroids before they find us." As the head of the Pan-STARRS project, "Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System", Kaiser and his team at the UH Institute for Astronomy use innovative technology to discover asteroids and comets that might collide with Earth.

At play, he's raced in every major swim, run, and triathlon held in Hawai'i this year, including the HURT 100K, Maui Marathon, Lavaman Triathlon, Honolulu Triathlon, Honu 70.3, Tinman, MountainMan, Kauai Marathon, Ironman and XTERRA World Championships.

He was one of five from Hawai'i to complete the "double" of finishing the Ironman and XTERRA in successive weeks.

Now Kaiser plans to accomplish another double — the XTERRA Trail Running World Championship half-marathon on Dec. 6, followed a week later by the Honolulu Marathon.

Making this all the more fascinating is that he just started racing five years ago.

"I'm an obsessive type," said Kaiser, a Brit who earned his PhD from Cambridge in 1982. "I realized I was quite good at distance and just wanted to see how far I could take it."

So far he has "taken it" to everyone in his age group, winning numerous awards for being the fastest in some of the toughest races. Kaiser also has a sub 3-hour marathon, posting a 2:58:08 at the London Marathon in 2007.

"We like to tease him that he's still running on fresh legs, and that's how he can do all these things," joked one of his ultra-running friends, Bob McAllaster, from HURT (Hawaiian Ultra Running Team). "Seriously though, he's a pretty incredible guy and it seems like he just doesn't stop."

The adventurous XTERRA trail run at Kualoa Ranch will be Kaiser's 20th race this year, and he's done more than 100 endurance races since he started competing in 2004.

How does he do it?

"I get up really early to run most weekdays. I have a pool right by my office I can jump into at lunch time and I bike (and sleep) on the weekends," Kaiser said. "I'm lucky to have a very supportive family that thinks I'm nuts, and a job that involves a lot of thinking. Long training runs are a good time to concentrate."

Shoppers, take your mark, RUN!

November 20, 2009
Shoppers, take your mark, RUN!

Idiotarod debuts in Asheville

By Lindsay Nash I take5 Correspondent

What's speedy, squeaky, covered in spandex and pushed all over?

The racers Sunday in Asheville's first Idiotarod, a 5K shopping cart race aimed to raise money for a local charity.

The event, something akin to an Alaskan dog sled race, will require costumed teams of five to push or pull a shopping cart through about three miles of obstacles, challenges and community service tasks.

“The most appealing thing is not the costumes — not the spandexed Batmans and Supermans or pilots with their costumed ‘airplane' carts — or all the silliness in general. It's the community involvement,” said race director Richard Handy.

Handy, who moved to the area from New York City, where he first participated in an idiotarod, is using the money garnered from the race to benefit his own charity — the 12 Day Project.

The charity focuses on organizing volunteers to assist with projects across Western North Carolina one weekend a month.

The Idiotarod's instructions are simple enough. Dress in costume. Bring a shovel, a shopping cart, a hammer and $10 in singles. And, oh yeah, don't be afraid to lose a little dignity.

The race will start at 11 a.m. Sunday at 900 Riverside Drive in the tractor-trailer parking area of the Silver-Line Plastics Corp.

The participants will be required to buy groceries — which will later be donated to MANNA FoodBank — help on a construction site, do a little work in a community garden and more.

“My intention is to use the race as community development,” said Handy, 34, of Black Mountain. “It's amazing. You're having the most ridiculous, absurd, hysterical time dressed like complete idiots all while helping the community.”

It was those elements of charity, fun and silliness that attracted Rosman runner and high school teacher Sara Cathey, 50, to the event.

“We were looking for a fun event,” said Cathey, who is running with four other members from her local running group. “We're dressing up in a wrestling theme — masks, capes and things like that.”

The race has created a lot of buzz around town and in other small running groups like Cathey's.

Another team has formed from the Black Mountain Runners, a group that gets together and runs a couple of times a week.

“We're just going to have a lot of fun,” said Jen Marsh, of the Black Mountain group who named the team Super Turbolicious Divas, or “STDS,” and plan on wearing lots of spandex, capes and knee-high socks.

Lindsay Nash writes about entertainment for take5. E-mail lindsaynash@yahoo.com.


Additional Facts
IF YOU GO

What: The Idiotarod, a 5K shopping cart race.

When: 11 a.m. Sunday.

Where: Riverside Drive, Asheville.

How much: $20 per person, or $100 per team of five.

The after-party: Wedge Brewing Co., featuring Zach Blew and Levi Douglas performing live. Feel free to shake your spandex, dress, fish costume, toga or whatever the heck else you might be wearing.

Information: ashevilleidiotarod@gmail.com.

On the Net: http://www.ashevilleidiotarod.com/.

Chariots of wire

Asheville Idiotarod pits shopping carts, costumes and trickery, all in the name of fun
by Alli Marshall in Vol. 16 / Iss. 17 on 11/18/2009

There are athelete-punishing marathons, feats of spandexed agility and moments of community-bolstering brilliance. And then there's the Idiotarod, which is kindof none of the above and, then again, kindof all of the above.

Serious runners booty: Costumed racers know that the Idiotarod is more about the fun than the run. Photo by Nicholas Noyes.
"It's basically organized chaos and you're laughing for an entire hour and a half," says Richard Handy, who is putting together the Asheville Idiotarod, the first local version of the 5K shopping-cart race.

Handy, who lived in New York City for seven years prior to moving to Asheville last year, has competed in the N.Y.Idiotarod. "It's a staple thing up there," he says. Based vaguely on the extreme sport Iditarod — the annual 1,150 mile sled dog race across Alaska — the Idiotarod trades sleds for grocery carts and physical fitness for goofy costumes and sabatoguing pranks. Says Web site http://www.ashevilleidiotarod.com: "The Idiotarod is essentially the same thing [as the Iditarod], except we'll cover like a 5K and instead of dogs we use people (idiots) and instead of sleds, we use shopping carts (super pods of wonder), which are extremely efficient, by the way. So essentially it's the same, but according to my mom it's way cooler — and my mom knows."

And now Asheville take its place among a dozen or so other Idiotarod locales. "2007 was the last one I was in in New York.," Handy says. "The cops were always trying to figure out what was going on, so the organizers would switch the location at the last minute. There was an unorganized start; you had to find your own route so people were on every street just trying to get to the finish line."

In costumes. In teams of five. Pushing a shopping cart decorated to look like anything from a trailer to a cow. And then there were the saboteurs: "Everyone was shooting everything from shaving cream to water balloons to super-soakers," Handy remembers.

Unlike the N.Y. race, the Asheville Idiotarod has the City's stamp of approval. That's not meant to detract from the event's unorthodox leanings. "Acceptable trickery," according to the rules list, includes "Sending over a team of supermodels, male or female, to distract [competitors] from their allowable start time." Another example? "The team in D.C. one year set up a fake road block claiming to be officials, and would not let teams go until they had sung a Britney Spears song on the street." Being on the up-and-up is intended to further the good works resulting from all the hijinx. The Asheville Idiotarod was envisioned by Handy as a means to help his other passion: Nonprofit advancement.

Proceeds from the race benefit the newly-forming 12 Day Project (also masterminded by Handy), which structures and promotes community and nonprofit volunteerism. The volunteer projects take place one weekend each month. Volunteers donate six hours of their time for which they receive a discount benefit card that can be used at local businesses.

"Of all the places in the country, this seems like a place that could benefit from something like that," Handy says of the program. "A lot of people here like to support local businesses. This encourages ownership in community." Along with the volunteerism and buying local aspects, the 12 Day Project will also include a barter and freecycle (a network where people can get rid of or acquire cast off items for free) programs.

Though Handy could have aligned himself with a preexisting charitable organization, he chose to create the 12 Day Project because he "felt like there was a simpler way to do [all of this] while benefitting local businesses at the same time."

What isn't simple is racing a decorated grocery cart along Asheville's Riverside Drive. To make sure the race is no easy feat, challenges have been added which team members must complete before crossing the finish line. These tasks include acquiring items for a MANNA Food Bank grocery list en route and assisting with the mulching of a community garden (hint: be prepared with a team shovel). Awards include The Hoff (to the team that displays the most awesomeness), The Chuck Norris (to the team that kicks ass) and The Zoolander (to the really, really, really ridiculously good-looking cart). But the race finishing, challenge completing and prize winning aren't all: There's an after-party at The Wedge Brewery with live music by Levi Douglas and Zach Blew. As the Asheville Idiotarod Web site puts it, "Feel free to shake your spandex, dress, fish costume, toga or whatever the heck else you might be wearing."

who: The Asheville Idiotarod
what: 5K shopping cart race to benefit The 12 Day Project
where: Riverside Drive; After-party at The Wedge Brewery
when: Sunday, Nov. 22 (11 a.m., $100 per team entry fee. http://www.ashevilleidiotarod.com)

Makena Resort Offers XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon Rate

Makena Resort Offers XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon Rate

The Makena Beach & Golf Resort is offering an XTERRA Triathlon Weekend rate from $198 per room, per night, during the 14th XTERRA World Championship, which takes place Oct. 25. Additional events during the weekend include the XTERRA Makena Beach 5km/10km Trail Runs, which are scheduled the day before the main event and open to the public. This event benefits Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Maui County. The XTERRA World Championship is the culmination of a series of races held around the globe. Athletes from more than 25 countries and 30 U.S. states will be in Maui to take on the course, which consists of a 1.5-kilometer rough water swim at Makena Beach, a 30-kilometer mountain bike climb 3,000 feet up the lower slopes of Mt. Haleakala, and a 12-kilometer trail run. For more information, call 800-321-6284 or visit http://www.makenaresortmaui.com/.

Live Earth, Global Water Challenge and Dow to Launch the Dow Live Earth Run for Water

Jessica Biel, Alexandra Cousteau, Pete Wentz, Angelique Kidjo and Jenny Fletcher Join Live Earth, Global Water Challenge and Dow to Launch the Dow Live Earth Run for Water - the Largest Global Water Initiative in History to Help Solve the World Water Crisis: Cities Hosting the Event Include Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Chicago, Hong Kong, Jimbaran, London, Los Angeles, Manchester, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, Minneapolis, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Singapore City, Stockholm, Toronto and Washington, D.C

NEW YORK, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Live Earth announced plans to implement the largest worldwide water initiative on record to help combat the global water crisis. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water - to take place April 18, 2010 - will consist of a series of 6 km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to secure water) taking place over the course of 24 hours in countries around the world, featuring concerts and water education activities aimed at igniting a tipping point to help solve the water crisis. Jessica Biel, Alexandra Cousteau, Pete Wentz, Angelique Kidjo and Jenny Fletcher will lend their names and their time in support of this important cause.

"The Dow Live Earth Run for Water will bring people together around the world, raising awareness about the sources and consequences of the water crisis, locally and globally," said Alexandra Cousteau, global water advocate and founder of Blue Legacy International. "It captures perfectly the interconnectedness of life on our water planet and drives home the message that the water crisis is a global issue that isn't going to be fixed by scientists or policymakers alone. It's up to each of us."

Water scarcity is an issue affecting countries, communities and families all over the world. One in eight people don't have access to safe, clean drinking water. Eighty-eight percent of diarrheal cases worldwide are linked to inadequate and unsafe water. These cases result in 1.5 million deaths each year, mostly among children under five. In these areas, women and children are forced to walk 6 km (3.7 miles) each day to secure water that is likely unsuitable for drinking.

Everybody counts in helping to solve the water crisis. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water is a global movement focused on the actions individuals can take to effectively address the issue. People are encouraged to START solving the problem today, RUN in a Dow Live Earth Run for Water run/walk in their community or organize their own run/walk through the Friends of Live Earth program, SAVE water in their home and local community through conservation efforts, GIVE money to support clean, safe water projects and SPEAK UP by signing the Live Earth petition to add water as a basic human right to the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

"Water scarcity is an issue that affects all of us and we all have a responsibility to do our part to help solve this global crisis," said actor and Dow Live Earth Run for Water supporter Jessica Biel. "The beauty of the Dow Live Earth Run for Water is that it gives us a platform to encourage others to be part of the solution to help everyone have access to clean, safe drinking water."

Dow Live Earth Run for Water cities unveiled today, include Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cape Town, South Africa; Chicago, IL, USA; Hong Kong, China; Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia; London, UK; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Manchester, UK; Melbourne, Australia; Mexico City, Mexico; Milan, Italy; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York, NY, USA; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Singapore City, Singapore; Stockholm, Sweden; Toronto, Canada; Washington, D.C., USA. For a full list of Dow Live Earth Run for Water cities, visit http://liveearth.org/run.

The Dow Live Earth Run for Water run/walk registration opens today via The Active Network at http://liveearth.org/run. All participants will receive a free online ActiveTrainer plan to help them prepare for the event. Ten percent of all registration fees go directly to the NGO selected for their country.

"Dow is proud to be the title sponsor for this groundbreaking event," said Ian Barbour, general manager at Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of Dow. "As part of our 2015 Sustainability Goals, we are committed to leveraging science and technology to help solve some of the world's greatest challenges - like the water crisis. Our partnership with Live Earth is just one of the many ongoing efforts Dow is making to address water scarcity and help millions of people around the world gain access to safe, clean drinking water."

Through a cross-platform global fundraising effort, all donations raised by the Dow Live Earth Run for Water will be disseminated to fund sustainable and scalable water programs. A growing global network of NGO partners including Global Water Challenge, A Child's Right, Akvo, Fondo Para La Paz, Indonesia Water Partnership, Lien Ad, Pump Aid, Wildlands Conservation Trust and many others who will successfully implement water and conservation projects around the world. For the comprehensive list of Live Earth's NGO partners around the world, please visit http://liveearth.org/runforwater/partners.

"The world water crisis is the single greatest avoidable health challenge of our time," said Paul Faeth, president of Global Water Challenge, the lead beneficiary and non-profit partner for the Dow Live Earth Run for Water in the United States. "There is a solution. With appropriate funding and scaling simple technology, we believe we have the ability to ensure universal access to clean and safe drinking water. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water will serve as a catalyst to rally the world community around the critical issue of water scarcity and empower citizens to be part of the solution."

The water crisis is not only limited to developing nations. In cities such as Los Angeles and Singapore City, growing demand on limited water supplies has led to enforced water rationing and increased costs to the public. Adding to these existing issues, the affects of climate change are increasingly impacting both supply and quality of available fresh water throughout the world - shifting traditional rainfall patterns, altering water-shaping ecosystems and magnifying the effects of pollution.

"Building on the massive success of the Live Earth: Concerts for a Climate in Crisis in 2007, the Dow Live Earth Run for Water will mobilize the global community to once again come together on one day and take action on one of the most serious environmental issues today, the global water crisis," said Kevin Wall, founder and CEO of Live Earth. "Water scarcity affects everyone whether they are aware of it or not, and the goal of the Dow Live Earth Run for Water is to raise the profile of this issue, educate the world's citizens about its challenges and offer opportunities to be part of the solution."

Those interested in organizing their own run/walks in their communities to support the Dow Live Earth Run for Water can register their run/walk as a "Friends of Live Earth" event at http://liveearth.org/friends. Friends of Live Earth registered events receive approved materials, including event guidelines, logos, video and photos assets, as well as an invitation to join the Friends of Live Earth social network for regular updates. To date, nearly 20 Friends of Live Earth events are confirmed to take place in cities around the world, including: Accra, Ghana; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Asuncion, Paraguay; Bogota, Colombia; Cotonou, Benin; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Hamilton, Bermuda; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Santiago, Chile; Eldoret, Kenya; Kampala, Uganda; Lima, Peru; Lusaka, Zambia; Panama City, Panama; Praia, Cape Verde; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Port Louis, Mauritius.

The Dow Live Earth Run for Water has enlisted the expertise of the best in the business to assist with the event - Control Room, executive producers of all Live Earth events, is responsible for global entertainment and broadcast production; Ignite, overseeing concert production; Pacific Sports, handling run production around the world; Ignition, handling water village event production; and the Active Network, providing online registration technology to support the races around the world. Additional strategic partners are listed at http://liveearth.org/runforwater/partners

For more information about the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, visit http://liveearth.org.

About Live Earth
Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action. A for-profit company, Live Earth seeks to leverage the power of entertainment through integrated events, media and the live experience to ignite a global movement aimed at solving the most critical environmental issues of our time. More information about Live Earth can be found at http://liveearth.org.

About The Dow Chemical Company
With sales of $58 billion in 2008 and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. On April 1, 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and Haas Company, a global specialty materials company with sales of $10 billion in 2008 and 15,000 employees worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

About Global Water Challenge
GWC is a diverse coalition that consists of leading organizations working to provide creative and sustainable solutions for universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation. GWC's mission is to generate a global movement to meet the urgent need for safe water and sanitation by spurring collective awareness and investment in water supply/sanitation innovation by corporate, public, and nongovernmental actors. Our challenge is to reach people with the tools and education they need to empower themselves. Access to clean water and sanitation leads to healthier, longer and more productive lives, and breaks the cycle of poverty. Water and sanitation are not just human rights, they are human necessities. More information about Global Water Challenge can be found at http://www.globalwaterchallenge.org.

About Control Room
Founded by Emmy-award winning producer Kevin Wall and headed by company president Aaron Grosky, Control Room is the world's leading producer of massive global events, leveraging unparalleled expertise to deliver once-in-a-life time entertainment experiences to audiences around the world. Through a combination of expertise in event production, television production, media architecture design, artist and celebrity relationships, sponsorship development and creative vision Control Room evolves events into cultural phenomena.
Control Room is an end-to-end solution for brands, artists, broadcasters and sponsors committed to connecting global audiences with compelling entertainment. The company has built long-standing business relationships and successfully navigated the complexities of culture, government and production in countries in every region of the world. Since 2005, Control Room has illustrated a history of measureable results through a comprehensive body of work including more than 100 live events ranging from single-artist concerts to worldwide movements.

About Pacific Sports
Pacific Sports LLC is a premier sports consultation firm, specializing in event production, management, and corporate sports marketing development. Having produced more than 300 sport events in the United States, including the 1996 Triathlon World Championships and 12 U.S. Championships, Pacific Sports LLC is dedicated to the creation, development and management of participant and endurance sports including those of running, swimming, and cycling. Pacific Sports was a founder of the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series comprising the major championships at the Olympic Distance in the United States. The firm produces events around the world, including the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon, Dow Live Earth Run for Water, Catalina Marathon, Rose Bowl Half Marathon, and Cleveland Triathlon. Pacific Sports is a Delaware based Limited Liability Company with offices in Anaheim, California. The firm was founded in 1983.

About ignition
ignition is the award-winning experiential marketing agency behind some of the world's most ambitious and famous events and campaigns: Coca-Cola's Olympic Torch Relays and FIFA World Cup(TM) Trophy Tours, the 2007 Live Earth concerts and the Blue Planet Run. It is also one of the first agencies that is committed to fully integrate environmental sustainability across its operations and projects. With ignition, clients deliver measurable brand-building experiences that leave a lasting impression on the communities they touch, without leaving a lasting impact on the planet. Find out more at www.ignition-inc.com.

About Ignite
Ignite, formerly known as Ignition Europe Ltd., is a full service marketing solutions company aimed at bolstering brand awareness and consumer engagement for the world's leading corporations. Creating unforgettable branded experiences through multi-sensory communications, strategic marketing innovation, and programming solutions that develop lasting, emotional consumer connections, the company's focus is on delivering highly-targeted, relevant branded messaging via one-to-one and one-to-few human interaction. The company is headquartered in London, and is privately owned by Kevin Wall and Harvey Goldsmith. Kevin Wall is an Emmy Award-winning producer, digital entertainment pioneer, convergence technology investor, and founder of Live Earth and Control Room. Harvey Goldsmith is a world-renowned concert producer and promoter for iconic performers including Rolling Stones, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, and more. Goldsmith serves as chairman of Ignite.

About The Active Network, Inc.
The Active Network is a leading provider of event management technology and will provide online registration for all Dow Live Earth Run for Water run/walks in 2009. Participants in the run/walks will also have access to Active's online training and fundraising tools to help participants meet their fitness and fundraising goals. For more information about The Active Network, please visit, www.TheActiveNetwork.com.

Local triathlete brings flare to Lincoln event

Local triathlete brings flare to Lincoln event

BY MICAH MERTES / Lincoln Journal Star Posted:

Monday, August 17, 2009 12:50 am (2) Comments

Local triathlete Jake Fisher talks to friends after competing in the XTERRA B.O.L.T. Saturday, August 15, 2009. (Erin Duerr)
Related Links: Jake Fisher's Web site-->

Jake Fisher points at his faux-hawk. "It adds five horsepower," he says.

The professional triathlete's sleek hairstyle not only serves a practical function but also makes him stand out in a race of hundreds. As does his electric blue tri suit and the cheap red shades he bought in Tokyo.

Fisher brought the five-horsepower faux-hawk and the rest of his get-up to Nebraska's first XTERRA triathlon Saturday morning at Branched Oak Lake. The 27-year-old is missing his University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduation ceremony to be here.

"I was never really that athletic," he said. "But something just sparked in me, and I found something I love to do."

Fisher's dive into triathleticism happened by chance. Fisher, a guy prone to the travel bug, was living in Saipan, the capital of the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a few years back, working at a resort. There, he happened to run into triathlete champ Jamie Whitmore. She had seen Fisher swimming and jogging at the resort, told him he had good form in both and should consider trying a triathlon.

So he did, competing in his first XTERRA there in Saipan. When he got back to the U.S., he kept it up, making it his new focus. He's now competed in 15 triathlons.

But this one at Branched Oak Lake on Saturday is especially important because "this is my backyard," he said. "Every dream I've had for the last three weeks has been a nightmare of everything that can go wrong."

In the race, a lot goes wrong. After swimming, his calf locks up. His knee hurts him. His ankle, which he rolled a few days ago, starts talking to him.

But he does well enough. He gets the time and ranking to qualify for the national championship next month in Utah.

Fisher graduated with a bachelor's degree in biological science this weekend. And he's glad he missed it. Because, well, why would you want to stuff an aerodynamically engineered 'do under a graduation cap?

Reach Micah Mertes at 473-7395 or mmertes@journalstar.com.