From the inspiring to the tragic, this is GearJunkie’s wrap on exploration and adventure news of the week. Here’s what you missed and a few things to look forward to.
American ultrarunner Camille Herron broke her own women’s 100-mile world record at the Track and Field Championships on Feb. 19. The 40-year-old endurance star broke the tape with 12:41:11 on the clock — nearly 30 minutes ahead of the first male athlete and silver medalist, Arlen Glick.
With that time, Herron bested her previous 100-mile speed record, set in 2017, by nearly 1.5 minutes. Friday’s performance also earned her the 50-mile world record for the 40-44 age group — she crossed the halfway mark at 6:08:24.
“I went into the race thinking, ‘I want to break 13 hours,'” Herron said in a new interview with iRunFar. “When I hit the 50-mile split in 6:08, I thought, ‘Oh, let’s go for it!’ I was pretty pumped up to hit 50 miles and think, ‘Okay, game on for the world record.'”
Camille Herron set a new women’s 100-mile world record in 12:41:11 at the Jackpot Ultras yesterday, breaking her old record of 12:42:40 set in 2017.
Here’s our interview from after her 2017 world record: https://t.co/f6ULnU0M7K https://t.co/wzHUWZpHVw
— iRunFar (@iRunFar) February 19, 2022
Snowboarding’s best showed up and threw down last week for the title of King or Queen of Corbet’s Couloir in Jackson Hole. Red Bull describes the comp as a “one-day, no-holds-barred freeride contest.” Hans Mindnich and Piper Kunst claimed the top spots at 2022’s showdown. Corey Jackson took home this year’s People’s Choice Award for favorite run overall. See the complete replay at redbull.com.
New studies have revealed that 47% of America’s bald eagle population and 46% of its golden eagle population have chronic lead poisoning. It’s a newly identified existential threat to the protected species, and scientists say it’s caused by bullet fragments used in hunting wild game. The study focused on 1,200 eagles between 2010 and 2018.
Lead poisoning can cause lesions or even paralysis and death in the most acute cases. But, there’s an easy way to mitigate further spread, the study’s experts say: convincing hunters to use non-lead bullets.
Biologists are optimistic that hunters will gladly move to non-lead alternatives “once they find out they’re potentially poisoning animals,” said study co-author and research biologist Vince Slabe.
The Access Fund climbing foundation is asking climbers to speak out against newly proposed regulations in Joshua Tree National Park. The proposed restrictions would prohibit the use of bolts and other fixed anchors in J-Tree wilderness areas.
“Fixed anchors have been allowed in Wilderness areas as a critical tool for climber safety since Congress passed the Wilderness Act in 1964,” the Access Fund campaign page states.
Those interested in supporting the Access Fund’s position can submit comments and sign the petition at accessfund.org/take-action.
Looking ahead, the 19th annual SkiBike Rally returns to Purgatory Resort in Durango, Colo., on Feb. 26-27. It’s a 2-day celebration of the ski bike community, open to ski bikers of all experience levels. According to the American SkiBike Association, ski biking is a “safe and low-impact alternative to skiing and snowboarding” and is “a fun and easy-to-learn way to enjoy the slopes for all ages and abilities.”
To learn more and register for the 2022 SkiBike Rally, head to purgatory.ski/events/ski-bike-rally.
