Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep185: Popular Marathons, Ultramarathon and Triathlons in the world

Transcript

Ep185: Popular Marathons, Ultramarathon and Triathlons in the world · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify.
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  Kid Cast Daily starts yours. Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where
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  we bring news, trivia, fun facts, and more just for curious
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  kids like you. Today we're going on a journey
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  around the world, but not by plane or train.
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  We're exploring some of the most famous, exciting, and toughest
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  races on earth. Marathons, ultra marathons, and
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  triathlons. These are not just any races.
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  There are special events where people test their limits, run or
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  swim or bike for hours and sometimes even days.
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  Are you ready to learn about these amazing challenges and the
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  people who take them on? Let's get started.
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  First, let's talk about marathons.
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  A marathon is a long distance running race.
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  The official distance for a marathon is 42.195 kilometers,
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  which is about 26.2 miles. That's like running from one
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  side of a big city to another, and then a little bit more.
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  Marathons are held all over the world, and thousands of people
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  take part in them every year. One of the most famous marathons
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  is the Boston Marathon in the United States.
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  It started all the way back in 1897, more than 100 years ago.
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  The Boston Marathon is held every April on a day called
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  Patriots Day. People from all over the world
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  come to Boston to run this race. The course is known for its
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  Heartbreak Hill, a long and steep uphill section that comes
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  late in the race. Runners have to be really strong
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  and determined to get through it.
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  Boston is also famous because you have to qualify to enter.
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  That means you have to run another marathon 1st and finish
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  it in a fast time just to get a chance to run in Boston.
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  Another world famous marathon is the London Marathon, held in the
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  capital city of England. The first London Marathon took
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  place in 1981. The course goes past many of
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  London's famous landmarks like Big Ben, the Tower of London and
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  the River Thames. It's a big event for both
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  professional athletes and people who just want to run for fun or
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  to raise money for charity. In fact, the London Marathon has
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  helped raise hundreds of millions of pounds for different
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  causes. Let's not forget the New York
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  City Marathon. This is the largest marathon in
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  the world with over 50,000 runners each year.
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  The race starts on Staten Island, one of the cities 5
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  boroughs, and goes through all 5 Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens,
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  the Bronx and Manhattan. The finish line is in Central
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  Park, a huge Green Park right in the middle of New York City.
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  Crowds of people cheer for the runners and there's music and
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  excitement all along the way. There's also the Berlin Marathon
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  in Germany. This marathon is famous because
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  many world records have been set there.
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  The course is flat and fast, which means runners can go
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  really quickly. The Berlin Marathon passes by
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  the Brandenburg Gate, a very important landmark in Germany
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  and in Japan. The Tokyo Marathon is another
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  big event. It started in 2007, but it's
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  already become one of the most popular marathons in Asia.
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  The course takes runners through the busy streets of Tokyo, past
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  tall buildings and ancient temples.
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  Now let's move on to something even more extreme, the
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  Ultramarathon. An Ultramarathon is any race
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  longer than a regular marathon. So if a marathon is 42.195
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  kilometers, an Ultramarathon could be 50 kilometers, 100
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  kilometers, or even more. Some ultramarathons last for
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  days. One of the most famous
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  ultramarathons is the Comrades Marathon in South Africa.
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  Even though it's called a marathon, it's actually about 89
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  kilometers, which is more than twice as long as a regular
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  marathon. The race goes between two
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  cities, Durban and Peter Meritsburg.
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  The route changes direction each year.
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  Sometimes it's up from Durban to Peter Meritsburg, and sometimes
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  it's down the other way. Thousands of runners take part
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  and it's a big part of South African sports culture.
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  Another famous ultra marathon is the Spartathlon in Greece.
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  This race is about 246 kilometers long.
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  That's about 152 miles. The route follows the path of
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  the ancient Greek messenger Phaidipides, who is said to have
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  run from Athens to Sparta in 490 BC to ask for help in a battle.
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  The Spartaflon is known for its tough rules and strict time
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  limits. Runners have to reach certain
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  points along the course by a specific time or they have to
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  stop. Did you know there's also an
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  ultra marathon that takes place in one of the hottest places on
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  Earth? It's called the Badwada 135 and
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  it's held in Death Valley, CA during the summer.
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  The race is 135 miles or about 217 kilometers, and the
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  temperature can reach over 50°C, which is hotter than most ovens.
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  Runners have to be very careful, drink lots of water and wear
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  special clothing to protect themselves from the heat.
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  There's also the Marathon Disables, which is French for
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  Marathon of the Sands. This ultra marathon takes place
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  in the Sahara Desert in Morocco, Africa.
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  Runners travel about 250km / 6 days carrying all their food and
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  equipment in backpacks. They run on sand, over dunes and
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  across rocky ground. It's one of the toughest races
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  in the world. Now let's talk about triathlons.
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  A triathlon is a race that has three parts, swimming, biking
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  and running all in one event. Triathlons come in different
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  distances, but the most famous is the Ironman triathlon.
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  In an Ironman, athletes swim 3.86 kilometers, bike 180.25
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  kilometers and then run a full marathon 42.195 kilometers, all
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  without stopping. That's a total of about 226
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  kilometers, or 140.6 miles. The Iron Man World Championship
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  is held every year in Kailua, Kona, HI.
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  The race starts with a swim in the ocean, then a bike ride
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  through hot lava fields and finally a run along the coast.
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  The weather can be very hot and windy, making the race even
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  harder. Only the best triathletes in the
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  world get to compete in Kona and finishing the race is a huge
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  achievement. There are also shorter
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  triathlons like the Olympic Triathlon, which is the distance
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  used in the Olympic Games. In the Olympics, athletes swim
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  1.5 kilometers, like 40 kilometers and run 10
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  kilometers. The triathlon became an Olympic
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  sport in the year 2000. Another popular triathlon event
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  is the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco, CA.
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  In this race, athletes start by jumping off a boat near Alcatraz
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  Island, which used to be a famous prison.
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  They swim about 2.4 kilometers to the shore, then bike and run
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  through the city's steep hills. The cold water and strong
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  currents make the swim very challenging.
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  In Australia, there's the Noosa Triathlon, which is one of the
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  biggest triathlons in the world. It's held in a beautiful town
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  called Noosa. With clear blue water and sunny
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  weather, many people come to race and enjoy the fun festival
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  atmosphere. Did you know that in some places
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  there are even triathlons for kids?
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  These are called kids triathlons or junior triathlons.
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  The distances are much shorter, so young athletes can join in
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  and have fun too. So why do people run marathons,
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  ultra marathons or do triathlons?
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  For some, it's about testing themselves and seeing what they
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  can achieve. For others, it's a chance to
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  travel, meet new friends, or raise money for charity.
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  These races are not just about winning, they're about
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  finishing, having fun and being part of something special.
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  Let's recap what we've learned today.
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  Marathons are long distance running races, about 42
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  kilometers, and some of the most famous are in Boston, London,
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  New York, Berlin and Tokyo. Ultra marathons are even longer
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  and can be held in places like South Africa, Greece, California
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  and the Sahara Desert. Triathlons are races with
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  swimming, biking and running, and the Ironman in Hawaii is the
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  most famous of all. There are also Olympic
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  triathlons and fun events like Escape from Alcatraz and the
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  Noosa Triathlon. Did you know that every year
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  millions of people around the world join in these races,
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  whether they're beginners or experts?
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  Some wear fun costumes, some run with friends, and some even
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  break world records. What all these athletes have in
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  common is a spirit of adventure and a love for being active.
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  Maybe one day you'll run a marathon, try a triathlon, or
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  even take on an ultra marathon. For now, you can cheer for the
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  athletes, learn about the different events, and maybe
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  start by running or biking in your own neighborhood.
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  Who knows where your journey might take you?
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  Thanks for joining Kick Ass Daily today, we hope you enjoyed
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  learning about marathons, ultra marathons, and triathlons.
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  Remember, every big journey starts with a single step or a
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  swim, a bike ride or a run. Keep being curious, stay active,
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  and we'll see you next time. For more fun facts and amazing
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  stories, grab. Your breakfast, feeling fine,
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  Adventures waiting.