Tag Archives: marathon

Rejuvenate at the Royal Parks fitness festival

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London: From the stunning Serpentine through the green heart of London: The inaugural Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon and Brakes Food & Fitness Festival takes place next month.

On Sunday 12 October 2008 (8.30am to 4pm), the Royal Parks Foundation launches its first ever Half Marathon through the green lungs of the capital and will host the Brakes Food & Fitness Festival in Hyde Park – to which entry is free.

12,500 runners will race over a 13.1 mile route that takes in all aspects of our diverse and colourful city and passes through King Henry VIII’s old hunting grounds. Starting in the autumn colours of Hyde Park, the route goes through Green Park and St James’s Park, along the ancient Thames, past the futuristic London Eye, back to the historic Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, finishing once again in Hyde Park. Runners will then be able to join friends and family and rejuvenate at the Brakes Food & Fitness Festival taking place all day in Hyde Park.

The Brakes Food & Fitness Festival will offer something for everyone – runners and non-runners alike. Activities throughout the day will include:

· Warm up with the British Military Fitness team at 9.30am

· SUPERChick stretch workshop for tired muscles

· Learn to be a Parkour – (think James Bond in the opening scenes of Casino Royale)

· Kids’ craft area with face-painting and lots of other free fun

· Tennis skills training, plus hockey and football challenges with a giant inflatable football goal and speed camera

· Army climbing wall

· Massage area

· Farmers market stalls for those who would rather just relax and enjoy some delicious food

Echoing the ethos of the Royal Parks, the Half Marathon aims to be as environmentally friendly as possible – with bamboo t-shirts, medals carved from sustainable pine, recycled water bottles and a Fairtrade banana for every runner. Funds raised will benefit The Royal Parks Foundation, plus the work of hundreds of other charities, large and small, from around the UK.

In keeping with the ‘something for everyone’ theme, there are a variety of prize categories for runners including:

Open Men
Open Women
Senior Women – 40-55 year olds
Senior Men – 45-60 year olds
Veteran Women – 55+
Veteran Men – 60+
Corporate Challenge (Fastest Team & Best Dressed Team)
Most Successful Fundraiser

Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon timings:

· 8.30 – Runners should arrive at 8.30 to check in bags

· 9.30 – British Military Fitness warm up

· 10.00 – Run starts in Hyde Park

· Brakes Food & Fitness Festival open between 8.30am-4pm

The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon

· The Royal Parks Foundation is the charity for London’s eight Royal Parks. For further information please visit: www.royalparksfoundation or visit The Royal Parks at www.royalparks.org.uk

Headline sponsor

· Brakes – Brakes is the headline partner for the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon and is the UK’s leading foodservice providerwww.brake.co.uk

More Silver Sprinters than ever before in London Marathon

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London: Thousands of ‘silver sprinters’ plan to join their younger counterparts in this year’s London Marathon.

A greater interest in fitness and wellbeing is thought to be driving the trend, with nearly 1 in 10 participants falling into the over 50 age bracket in this year’s marathon (1).

The new figures contradict the traditional image of the over 50’s leading a sedentary life as nearly 7,000 50-70 year olds gear up to run in this year’s competitive 26 mile race, on the 13th April.

However, while experts applaud an active ageing population, they’re also offering a word of warning, given that a recent survey from LitoZin Joint Health©, revealed 74% of runners over the age of 45 suffer from regular joint pain. Joint specialist Dr. Kaj Winther urges participants not to overdo final training sessions and to help keep their joints lubricated by dosing up on a natural supplement such as Litozin Joint Health, which can help reduce joint inflammation and keep niggling pains at bay.

‘Many people with arthritic problems fear that exercise will make their conditions worse, but it is in fact lack of exercise that can lead to joint deterioration and pain’, explains Dr Winther. ‘Rather than further damaging your arthritic joints, a regular program of moderate activity and stretching and strengthening exercises can reduce pain, improve mobility and increase the stability of arthritic joints by strengthening supporting muscles’.

To protect your joints when preparing for a marathon, remember the following:

Invest in properly fitted, well cushioned running shoes.

Don’t overdo training in the final days before the race to minimise muscular aches and pains.

Do not train if you have flu, a fever or stomach bug and only start gentle training, build up again gradually once you have fully recovered.

Make sure you include plenty of carbs in your training diet in the run up to the race
Drink plenty of fluids before and during the marathon.

Make sure you stretch and warm up your muscles before you begin.

Take a natural rosehip supplement to help keep joints mobile and pain free. LitoZin Joint Health® contains the anti-inflammatory active ingredient GOPO®, which is derived from Rosa canina, a type of rose-hip.

“The anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory benefits of GOPO have been proven to offer long-term relief from joint pain and an increase in joint mobility. GOPO has an active benefit on all types of joint pain making it particularly suitable for sports related joint pain,” explains Dr Winther.

Studies also show that due to its anti-inflammatory properties, GOPO is more effective at reducing pain and improving mobility than other supplements for joint pain, such as glucosamine.

More about the survey
©The LitoZin Joint Health Sports Survey was undertaken with 500 men and women across the UK in August 2007 and looked at the impact on joint health of various sporting activities amongst groups of men and women in the under 45 and over 45 age groups, who all undertook 10 hours or more of light exercise a month. Any statistics taken from this release must be referenced to the LitoZin Joint Health Sports Survey.

LitoZinâ Joint Health is available in Boots, Superdrug, Holland & Barrett, independent pharmacies and health food stores, and is priced at £19.99 for 120 capsules. For more information on LitoZinâ Joint Health, please see www.litozin.co.uk

About Lanes

G R Lane is one of the major natural medicine companies in the UK and manufactures well-known products such as Olbas, Kalms, Quiet Life and Aquaban.

Established in the 1930’s by Gilbert Lane – an early supporter of the idea that we can improve our health through diet and the use of carefully selected plants and nutrients – Lanes remains a family owned business and is chaired by Gilbert’s grand-daughter, Janet Lane.

(1) www.london-marathon.co.uk