History & Culture
Stories that explore running through the lens of history, heritage, and cultural identity.
Run for Freedom
Nike! Nike! Nenikekamen!” “Victory! Victory! Rejoice, we conquer!” 490BC. Pheidippides, a messenger, finally arrives at the end of his 26-mile run from a battlefield in Marathon to the Acropolis in Athens to deliver news of an unexpected Greek victory over Persian invaders.
Hakone
“It’s the greatest race you’ve never heard of: the Hakone Ekiden. Lots of races may lay claim to this impressive title, but few have such a legitimate case. On 2 and 3 January every year, this local university road relay brings Japan to a standstill.
Forgotten Champion
What I love most about running? Going fast. I am sure this is the case for almost all of us: the desire to do better, to run faster, to gain that ever-elusive PB. After several years of running I have come to value the running community.
The Legend of Alain Mimoun
In Like the Wind issue #8 runner and author Pat Butcher told the story of a man whose running destiny would forever be intertwined with perhaps the greatest distance runner of all time, Emil Zatopek.
The New York Pioneer Club – the Forgotten Heroes of Running
In the current edition of Like the Wind – LtW#25 – we tell the story of a remarkable group of runners who used track, road and ultra running as a way to create hope and pride in young people treated as second class citizens in society …
LtW & Alexis Berg: Running Through History
Through the foothills of the Himalayas and around some of China’s most biodiverse forests, a new ultra race burst on to the racing calendar at the end of 2016. With the backing of the Badwater brand, competitors knew the 168km event was never going to be easy…