10K Bengaluru Route Preview, Posterior Step Downs, Chicago Marathon qualifying timing for 2025 & much more...
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
Route preview and everything you need to know to run at the Bengaluru 10K challenge. We also have a mile challenge for you #GeeksOnFeet
Posterior step-downs enhance balance, stability, and proprioception, making them ideal for functional movement, more on this at #WoW
Chicago Marathon Ups Qualifying Standards for 2025, get ready for next year's surprises at Boston qualifying timing, this and more #RunSHORTS
Happy reading!
#GeeksPoll
It is well known that consistent training can lead to improvement in performance and reduce the risk of injury. However, staying motivated can be tough. Best of the runners find ways to motivate themselves to train consistently?
What’s your favorite hack or trick that keeps you motivated to train consistently? (Reply for other answers)
#WoW - Posterior Step Downs
Posterior step-downs enhance balance, stability, and proprioception, making them ideal for functional movement and injury prevention. They strengthen key lower body muscles like the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, improving overall lower body strength. This exercise also promotes joint health by stabilizing the knee and ankle joints.
How to do it?
Stand on the platform with one foot near the edge and the other foot hanging off the side.
Keep your toes pointing forward and your weight evenly distributed.
Engage your core muscles to stabilize your torso.
Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
Slowly lower the hanging foot to the ground by bending the knee of the standing leg.
Allow the heel of the hanging foot to lightly tap the ground, keeping most of the weight on the standing leg.
Ensure the knee of the standing leg tracks over the toes, avoiding any inward or outward collapse.
Push through the heel of the standing leg to return to the starting position, straightening the knee.
Maintain control and avoid using momentum.
Complete the desired number of repetitions on one leg, then switch to the other leg.
Tips:
Start with a lower step height and gradually increase as you become more comfortable and stronger.
Focus on a slow and controlled movement to maximize muscle engagement and balance.
Keep your core engaged throughout the exercise to maintain stability.
When to do it?
As part of the strength workout. Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions on each leg, depending on your fitness level and goals.
@Geeksonfeet - Bengaluru 10K Challenge 2024 Route Preview
The Bengaluru 10K Challenge is back for its 10th year, and this year's route remains the same: a challenging course on the NICE road with significant elevation changes.
The race starts slightly later this year, at 6:15 AM, and weather predictions suggest pleasant running conditions. The route is an out-and-back course with minimal turns but features a mix of uphill and downhill sections. The most challenging part is the 7th kilometer, a steep uphill dubbed "Godzilla Hill" where runners will truly test their endurance. The race provides opportunities for strong downhill runs, especially in the 4th and 5th kilometers, but runners are advised to pace themselves strategically to avoid burning out before the final push.
Check out our detailed article offering pacing strategies and split examples from past races, highlighting how different finish times impact pacing strategies.
Mile Challenge
Are you running the Bengaluru 10k Challenge? Ready to take it to the next level and add some speed challenges?
Join 'The Mile Challenge':
🌟 2 Exciting Mile Dashes - Godzilla Hill Dash (+36m elevation) &
Downhill Mile Dash (-41m elevation)
📱 Log your run with #Strava
🏆 See if you can top the Leaderboard!
🔗 Sign up now and show off your speed!
https://geeksonfeet.com/mile-challenge
#RunSHORTS
Meghalaya's 76-Year-Old Marathoner to Run for India in Australia
Kmoin Wahlang, a 76-year-old marathoner from Meghalaya, has been selected to represent India at the Pan Pacific Masters Games in Australia. She will compete in the 800m, 1500m, and 3000m races in the 75-plus age category.
Wahlang's selection comes after a strong performance at a competition in Hyderabad earlier this year, where she impressed the Pan India Masters Games Federation. She is determined to bring home a gold medal and seeks support from the public and government to help her achieve this goal.
Wahlang's running journey began as a way to improve her health after the birth of her 12th child. She has since completed full marathons in various Indian cities and has become an inspiration for many in Meghalaya and beyond. Read more here
Faster Than Boston: Chicago Marathon Ups Qualifying Standards for 2025
The Chicago Marathon has announced faster qualifying times for its 2025 event, requiring runners to be 5 minutes faster than the previous year's standards. This makes it more challenging to earn guaranteed entry than the Boston Marathon. That said, the Chicago marathon also offers a ballot entry, which the Boston marathon doesn’t offer. The change has been attributed to a shift from a 10-year age qualifying window to a 5-year window, meaning some runners will see a smaller increase in qualifying time. Other notable changes include the addition of a "High Performance Program" for 150 runners offering benefits like reduced entry fees and a dedicated hospitality tent. Read more here
TCS Partners with Sydney Marathon for Five Years, Aiming for World Major Status
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has become the title sponsor of the Sydney Marathon, a five-year partnership aimed at enhancing the event's technology, sustainability, accessibility, and charitable impact. TCS brings experience from sponsoring other major marathons, including four World Marathon Majors (2 of them as title sponsor). The company plans to use its expertise to create a more sustainable and inclusive marathon experience, with initiatives like the TCS Sydney Mini Marathon for families, an Indigenous running ambassador program, and a sustainability framework.
Sydney Marathon is the latest candidate to be added to Abbott World Marathon Majors—a series that includes six of the world’s most iconic marathons – the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, TCS London Marathon, BMW Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon. As a candidate race, the TCS Sydney Marathon must meet a series of key criteria for two years consecutively to join this esteemed group as a new member in 2025. Read more here.
#RaceCalendar
We have revamped our race calendar with everything you need to know about the race, route, experience, and much more. We have added information about major races and we need the help of the community to make it further robust. Thus we invite runners to share their experiences related to race routes and other information that will benefit runners.
Next Week:
Bengaluru 10K Challenge - July 7, 2024
Next 6 Months:
Satara Hill Half Marathon - September 1, 2024
BMW Berlin Marathon: September 29, 2024
Wipro Bengaluru Marathon: October 6, 2024
TCS Amsterdam Marathon - October 20, 2024
Niveus Mangalore Marathon - November 10, 2024
Ahmedabad Marathon - November 24, 2024
Search and find races using our Race Finder at geeksonfeet.com/races.
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TipOfTheWeek - Rains and Runs!
The southwest monsoon winds have now covered the entire Indian peninsula, the season that needs more caution during your runs. Having the right shoes with good traction is vital during the season. One should look for shoes that have a good rubber cover underneath, what we call the outsole. This will prevent slips and falls, ensuring a stable and secured one. Be also cautious with tempo-focused or race day shoes as they generally don’t have adequate rubber coverage. Generally, the neutral daily trainers offer some excellent outsole protection. The Pegasus series from Nike, Ghost series from Brooks, and the Velocity Nitro series from Puma are some excellent choices here.
Check out our detailed article on dos and don'ts during the monsoon season here.
#TriviaOfTheWeek - Paris Olympic marathon:
It's the Paris Olympics 2024 month and all eyes would be on the marathon race and all the track event finals. The Olympics starts on 26 July and will end on 11 August with the women's marathon race being the last event in the athletics events. The men's race is scheduled a day before the women's race, i.e. on 10 August. Both the men's and the women's races will start at 8:00 am local time and 11:30 am IST. Finals of the track events like the 800m, relay, high jump, and javelin throw are also scheduled on 10 August.
Where to watch the Paris Olympics In India?
Viacom18 Media Private Limited (Viacom18) has the exclusive media rights to broadcast the Paris Olympics in India as well as the Subcontinent. Therefore, the Summer Games in the French capital can be watched on Sports18 while the live streaming for the same will be available on Jio Cinema.
Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar, Rameshbabu PV, Natasha Ryntathiang, and Aravind Yarra