Each summer, a few athletes try to run old Route 66 to raise money for charity or to simply challenge themselves. Two stories came over Friday of runners trying to trudge down all 2,400 miles of the Mother Road. Both featured unusual twists. First, there's Internet mogul Tellman Knudson, who is training for a run … Continue reading Running the route with a twist
Category: Sports
Marathon will still be on Mother Road
In December 2008, the Joplin (Mo.) Visitors and Convention Bureau announced with much fanfare that it would organize a Mother Road Marathon footrace on Route 66 from Miami, Okla., through Kansas and to Joplin, to be run in October 2009. Citing a weak economy and problems with certifying the race, organizers announced in February that … Continue reading Marathon will still be on Mother Road
Hail Hale
You usually don't hear the word "toughness" in descriptions of professional golfers. But Hale Irwin is an exception. Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star talks about Irwin's background: Hale Irwin grew up playing Baxter Springs Country Club, which was anything but the exclusive playground its name implies. Irwin's home course in Kansas was a nine-hole … Continue reading Hail Hale
Open house set for Baxter Springs museum
The Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum in Baxter Springs, Kan., recently completed a $500,000 expansion, and will be hosting a daylong open house Saturday, reports the Joplin (Mo.) Globe. The open house starts at 9:30 a.m., with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m. About 7,600 square feet have been added to the museum, putting … Continue reading Open house set for Baxter Springs museum
Old Joplin golf course gets a face-lift
Schifferdecker Municipal Golf Course of Joplin, Mo., which is right off the Mother Road and even predates the highway, recently underwent extensive renovations, reported the Joplin Globe. Mayor Gary Shaw said the course is known as a historic one because it opened in 1922 alongside what became Route 66. “Schifferdecker is a bargain” in the … Continue reading Old Joplin golf course gets a face-lift
“Get Fit on Route 66” tuned up
A few years ago, Health Enhancement Systems released an online fitness program called "Get Fit on Route 66," where participants could take a virtual tour of the Mother Road while meeting their fitness goals. The "Route 66" program has been the popular for the Midland, Mich., firm, with clients including AARP, corporations, universities, hospitals and … Continue reading “Get Fit on Route 66” tuned up
Kicks planned on running trail
For your roadies out there who also are fitness buffs, there's going to be something for you at the Al Foster Trail, which begins in Glencoe, Mo. According to Examiner.com: According to the City of Wildwood's website there are big things in store for the trail in the future. The plans are to connect Al … Continue reading Kicks planned on running trail
Racing to the rocker
The inaugural Race to the Rocker, a four-mile footrace on Route 66 from Cuba, Mo., to the world's largest rocking chair at the Fanning 66 Outpost and General Store, drew 155 participants on Saturday under nearly perfect weather conditions. The race, organized by local running club JOG Inc., raised $7,500 to help Cuba's high school … Continue reading Racing to the rocker
Tri-state marathon delayed a year
The inaugural Route 66 Mother Road Marathon, set to take place Oct. 3 on Route 66 from Miami, Okla., through Kansas to Joplin, Mo., will be delayed until 2010 because of a weak economy and problems with certifying the race, reported the Joplin Globe. According to the Globe, organizers were worried about attracting enough sponsors … Continue reading Tri-state marathon delayed a year
Route 66 Marathon touches more of Mother Road
A few days ago, I surfed over to the Web site of the Route 66 Marathon, slated for Nov. 22 in Tulsa, and found that the organizers have tinkered with the course layout again. The course was changed mainly because of complaints from runners about hills near the end of the 26.2-mile race. Now, most … Continue reading Route 66 Marathon touches more of Mother Road