Competition

 The Mt. Washington Road Race is a 7.6-mile ascent to the 6288-foot summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States, at an average grade of 12 percent. Each year the race attracts close to 1000 runners for the steepest all-uphill race on a paved road anywhere. 
http://www.meredithnhnews.com/Articles-c-2009-06-17-148826.113119_Mt_Was...

Just before race director Bob Teschek starts the race, he always reminds you"there is only one hill." Of course that hill is more than 7.6 miles long with nearly 5,000 feet of climb, a sadistic test of running ability. It's really no mystery why there are so many runners willing to put themselves through this anaerobic hell, and why hundreds of disappointed more wish they could, butwere not "lucky" enough to get picked in the lottery.
It's the challenge, ofcourse. The fact that it is so difficult is precisely the reason so many are so driven to try a race that leaves even the most accomplished runners gasping for breath.

Presented by the Achilles Track Club, this event brings together athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes in a celebration of running. Cash prizes, raffles, free t-shirts and shoes for kids, and more give promise of a great day in the park.
 

For one weekend each summer, 2,000 of the world's best triathletes assemble in San Francisco for one of the most infamous and extreme sporting events…the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. In its 29 years as a maximum-security prison, no one ever escaped alive from the menacing shores of Alcatraz. Every year, this popular event draws over 20,000 spectators to see who can accomplish that daunting task.

Welcome to where the Cascade Mountains crash into the sea. This event’s technical course meanders its way amongst rock-climbing areas and bat caves, punctuated by what the course designer describes as "insane views of Mt. Baker" and the North Cascades to the east.  The views of the San Juan Islands to the west, British Columbia Coastal Range to the north, plus the vast Skagit Valley to the south are not half bad, either. Elevations bounce between 200 and 2,500 feet, but do not include any huge, sustained climbs. Rather, the course is always heading up or down. Traverses of broken ridgeline require nimble feet while highly technical sections demand mountain goat skills. Overall, an impressive trail-running test that delivers a balance of fire roads, single track, and double track.