Across the world seemingly ordinary people are undertaking extraordinary challenges that will push their limits to achieve the improbable
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Ever wanted to run along The Great Wall of China up the Empire State Building across the Sahara Desert or join thousands of runners in a major city road race. These running races are included in the list of 500 of the most classic running races in the world. The global sport of running has captured peoples imagination since the first competitive race several thousand years ago. Hundreds of running races are held ever day & the biggest of those are watched by millions of people. Races featured range from ten second sprints to several days worth of running over hundreds of miles. There are running races included from every continent & most are open to anyone in the world. Whether you are interested in a five km race around a city centre or a marathon across mountain ranges this book has a race for you. * Cross country
- experience the mud & the drama of the English cross country championships * Mountain
- run to the top of Mount Olympus in Greece * Multi-terrain
- get sweaty in Brazil completing the Jungle marathon * Road
- join thousands of others running marathons through the worlds greatest cities * Snow
- run a marathon to the North Pole * Stage
- compete as part of a team in the famous Ekiden relays in Japan * Stair
- catch the view from the top of the Empire State building * Track
- compete against Britains best in the famous British Milers Club races * Trail
- explore the ancient world whilst running on the Great Wall of China * Ultra
- challenge yourself in the heat of the Death Valley The diversity of races is also matched by the number of countries featured with races from over 100 countries included in the list of ultimate running races. This list of ultimate running races is compiled by Angela Mudge (world champion mountain runner) along with contributions from some of the worlds leading runners including Kilian Jornet Mara Yamauchi Ryan Sandes & Jonathan Wyatt.









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Drive a crazy double decker car & ride shotgun in other mad vehicles This has got to be the most memorable motorised experience ever! Be chauffeured through country lanes & around tracks in the Worlds fastest street-legal bed. The ultimate buzz as you travel along public roads safely tucked up under your duvet. Be raced around a race track on a 87mph sofa. An iconic leopard-skin print sofa that started all the madness. Get behind the wheel in the Double Decker car as seen on BBCs Top Gear where the driver in the top car controls the steering & the driver in the bottom car controls the pedals. Totally barking & fantastic fun. Finally pull up a seat at the Worlds hottest desk. Securely strapped into your office chair youll have full use of the computers conference table & water cooler! These cars are designed by Wheeler Dealers Edd China & are the most astonishing ride of your life! Your experience will start with a meeting with the instructors who will get you fitted into some racing overalls go through the events of the day & talk through the health & safety aspects. Then it will be time for you to experience the wackiest rides of your life in the worlds fastest office worlds fastest sofa or worlds fastest bed. Plus you will get to drive the craziest double decker of cars ever. Afterwards you will return to the Wacky Racer Bar where you will be given a certificate & youll be free to purchase some refreshments. During the experience you will also see pro-driver demonstrations of other amazing cars including Scooby Doo Wheelie Van Push Me Pull You car & more! What You Will Receive On purchasing this experience you will receive a Silver A5 Presentation Pack. Your Silver A5 Presentation Pack is embossed with a ribbon design great if you are buying this experience as a gift. Included within your presentation pack: Your Gift Experience Voucher
- Keep this safe! You will need this to book your experience & may be required to take this with you on the day of your experience. An Information Booklet
- Detailing all you need to know about your experience including personal injury cover cancellation cover & full terms & conditions of the experience. How to Book Guide
- A personal guide based on your chosen experience detailing all the available locations & contact numbers you need to ensure you experience runs smoothly. "


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Whales that look like unicorns lizards that squirt jets of blood from their eyes naked rats that can sprint backwards... It seems as though some creatures have been put on this earth just to make us laugh. From the harmless but hilarious to the truly frightening & deadly the animals in this book are guaranteed to keep you amazed enthralled & extremely amused. ...

This magnificent & comprehensive illustrated reference to the world's most exotic dive locations covers the Caribbean Sea (Bahamas Mexico Cuba Cayman Islands The Virgin Islands Belize Honduras Aruba Bonaire & Curacao Tobago St Lucia & Dominica) Bermuda the Red Sea (Egypt & Sudan) the Indian Ocean (Oman Maldives Seychelles Mozambique & Western Australia) the Indo-Pacific (Thailand Malaysia & Indonesia) & the Pacific Ocean (Philippines Micronesia Melanesia Papua New Guinea French Polynesia & Eastern Australia). superb quality underwater photography shows a huge variety of wrecks marine habitats & aquatic species. The descriptions detail the type of dive to be experienced as well as what you can expect to see. Each dive site featured can be located via a detailed regional site map & a travel advisory is also included. ...

Award-winning journalist James Fergusson is among the few to have witnessed at first hand the devastating reality of life in the failed & desperate state of Somalia. This corner of the world has long been seen as the rotting & charred heart of Africa: a melting pot of crime corruption poverty famine & civil war. & in recent years whilst Somalia's lucrative piracy industry has grabbed the headlines a darker much deeper threat has come of age: the Al Qaida-linked militants Al Shabaab & the dawn of a new phase in the global war on terror. Yet paradoxically Somalia's star is brightening as forms of business law enforcement & local politics begin to establish themselves & members of the vast Somali diaspora return to their homel&. Fergusson takes us to the heart of the struggle meeting everyone from politicians pirates extremists & mercenaries to aid workers civilians & refugees. He gives a unique account of a country ravaged by war considers what the future might hold for a generation who have grown up knowing little else & exposes the reality of life in this hard often forgotten l&. ...

This lavishly-illustrated & comprehensive survey of 50 of the most influential designers ranging from early celebrity designers such as Paul Poiret to current cutting edge talent such as Hussein Chalayan. The names chosen are there because they have had an extraordinarily powerful influence on fashion & collectively they are responsible for almost the whole fashion story of the last 100 years. Each designer's iconic creations are shown in detail & graphic timelines & cross references show not only why these pieces were extraordinary in their own time but why they are still influencing those creating fashion today. The timelines demonstrate design influence through the generations. The result is a fascinating look at the fashion world that will appeal to anyone interested in fashion as well as being a useful resource for all fashion students. ...

Castles are among the most mysterious buildings on earth. Their grimly silent stones are signposts to a past filled with high adventure grim tragedies & glorious victories. Ghosts hauntings & other paranormal phenomena are frequently reported from castles. Do strange paranormal powers lurk among their ancient ruins? The World's Most Mysterious Castles takes you on a journey through hidden chambers & subterranean tunnels of castles all over the world. Their walls served the sinister needs of spies traitors & assassins. Do the spirits of attackers & defenders who died in long-forgotten sieges still linger where they fell? Screams of unbearable pain & despair were muffled within their deepest darkest torture dungeons. Do they echo there still? ...

This illustrated book vividly depicts the most endangered birds in the world & provides the latest information on the threats each species faces & the measures being taken to save them. Today 571 bird species are classified as critically endangered or endangered & a further four now exist only in captivity. This landmark book features stunning photographs of 500 of these species
- the results of a prestigious international photographic competition organized specifically for this book. It also showcases paintings by acclaimed wildlife artist Tomasz Cofta of the 75 species for which no photos are known to exist. The World's Rarest Birds" has introductory chapters that explain the threats to birds the ways threat categories are applied & the distinction between threat & rarity. The book is divided into seven regional sections: Europe & the Middle East; Africa & Madagascar; Asia; Australasia; Oceanic Islands; North America Central America & the Caribbean; & South America. Each section

Includes:: an illustrated directory to the bird species under threat there & gives a concise description of distribution status population key threats & conservation needs. This one-of-a-kind book also provides coverage of 62 data-deficient species."


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Equally loved & loathed by the public & the media airports are crucial to the operation of passenger & airfreight services worldwide. The World's Top 500 Airports" is the leading guide on the subject. It contains a brief history of each airport details of runways & terminals annual passenger numbers & aircraft movements. For the ' Top 250' airports there is a map details of the main user airlines & details of whether traffic is scheduled chartered passenger or freight. Freight traffic figures & ranking for freight are also given. Data & world rankings are supplied by the US-based Airports Council International." ...