Running

Canada's 4iiii Innovations has developed a Head Up Display for athletes that can be mounted on virtually all glasses thanks to included universal attachment points, so there's no need to stop wearing your favorite pair of sport sunglasses. Sportiiiis - pronounced "sport-eyes" - receives crucial performance data from any paired monitoring device via ANT+ wireless technology, compares actual performance with desired workout zone parameters and then feeds real-time indicators back to the user via colored LED lights and audio updates. Read More

Sports Tracker is now shipping its Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor, a chest-worn unit that pairs with a smartphone app for viewing stats in real-time as well as storing your data on the company website or sharing it with others through social media. Read More

ElliptiGO has announced the arrival of a new sibling for its 8-speed elliptical running bike. Elliptical bikes are said to offer users all the benefits of running and cycling in one (strange-looking) machine, without many of the negative aspects, such as back and leg problems or saddle-soreness. The upright position also makes runners/riders more visible in traffic. The new 3C comes in a new color option, is a little heavier than its older brother and has only three gears, but is being offered at a lower price point to open up the unique workout to more consumers. Read More

Nike has rolled-out a new Nike+ GPS iPhone App for iPhone and iPod touch. It is predominately a GPS app that allows you to visually map your run in addition to monitoring time, pace, distance and calories burned. If you're running on a treadmill or out of GPS range the accelerometer is used to keep the data coming and audio feedback and motivation is delivered by the likes of Paula Radcliffe or Lance Armstrong. Read More

It's early January - you're probably looking to work off some of your Christmas kilos and shed that festive spare tyre. For millions of people around the world, that means making a New Year's resolution, buying a new pair of runners and hitting the road for a jog. But a new musculoskeletal study has concluded that the average modern running shoe is significantly more damaging to your knees, hips and ankles than running barefoot - or even walking in high heels. With osteoarthritis of the knee representing the biggest cause of disability in the elderly, this is a serious finding that's worth taking into account if you want to protect your joints. Read More

It may be a great form of exercise, but running is a high impact pursuit that places great strain on muscles and tendons. The stress it places on the body forces many runners to hang up their shoes and seek alternative, lower impact forms of exercise. Looking to take the pain out of running, a Swiss engineer set about creating a shoe that enabled the runner to land as soft as if running on sand, and to push off as if running in track shoes. The result is the the On Running Shoe – a shoe that incorporates a unique rubber ring into the sole design to provide a soft landing, while offering firmness and stability on push off. Read More

From the same place that brought you the Robot Suit HAL comes the “motorized knee.” Designed by researchers at Japan’s Tsukuba University the device supports the flex of the knee, which enables a runner to use 30 percent less muscle power compared to running unassisted. Read More

When did running get so complicated? Remember the good old days when going for a run was as easy as changing shoes and heading out the front door? Now, there’s a plethora of running gear and gadgets - ranging from heart rate monitors to state-of-the-art running shoes. It seems that not many runners leave home without their MP3 players either, but would they be prepared to work hard for their music? The Dancepants kinetic music player is a new design concept that would see runners harnessing their kinetic energy to power their music player. Yep, you’ve got to keep moving to keep grooving. Read More

Nike's new USD$59 Nike+ SportBand goes on sale tomorrow, adding yet another information device for runners into the marketplace. The SportBand offers runners real-time performance feedback on their distance, pace, time and calories burned and the wrist-worn form factor is designed to offer the info “at a glance.” Read More