Toxic seaweeds kills runner - A jogger is feared to have died after being overcome by toxic fumes coming from sea lettuce, a green algae that produces hydrogen sulphide when trapped under a seaweed crust, and can prove as deadly as cynanide.
The world's shortest marathon - Rather than slogging 26.2 miles, competitors in Burntwood, Staffordshire, can jog around the 55-yard marathon route in under ten seconds.
The Great Birthday Run Scam - Imagine signing up and paying for a 5K only to realize there is no race. A new scam duped people around the country as many runners signed up for "The Birthday Run" to have a good time with live music, lights and a party. But, when race day arrived, there was no starting line.
Runner who accidentally crosses U.S. border detained for two weeks - As Cedella Roman ran southeast along the White Rock beach, she crossed a municipal boundary - and, shortly after, the Canada-U.S. international border. When she turned around to head back she was apprehended by two U.S. Border Patrol officers. So began a two-week nightmare that landed her in a prison jumpsuit.
Runner finishes marathon with found puppy - She may not have won the race, but 43-year-old Khemjira Klongsanun won the hearts of everyone after photos of her finishing a marathon with a puppy in her arms - one rescued from the side of the road mid-race - went viral on social media.
Priest-runner in Rome blocks serial thief - The thief who snuck into the church of San Gioacchino in Rome had not calculated that in the parish there was a priest-runner ready to grind kilometers to recover the stolen goods and bring him to justice.
Runner disqualified for winning the wrong race - Omar Ahmed had originally signed up to run the 10k but ended up accidentally running, and winning, the Bristol half marathon instead. Not being officially part of the longer race, he was disqualified.
Sorry, European athletes only - The director of the Italian "Trieste Running Festival" provoked fury after saying only European professional runners would be invited to take part in the Trieste half marathon in order to draw attention to the exploitation of African athletes. The Italian Federation of Athletics opened an investigation.
Runner finishes marathon while smoking cigarettes - A Chinese runner completed the "Xin'anjiang Marathon" while smoking throughout the 42-kilometre event. And this was not his first time - according to Running Magazine, he smoked cigarettes while running the "Guangzhou Marathon" and the "Xiamen Marathon".
Running the Apple logo - Using two iPhones plus his legs to map the equivalent of a digital heart for Steve Jobs, a marathon runner from Tokyo, ran 13 miles in 2 hours with a specific route in mind: the Apple logo.
