ATOZ Services’ Post

The iconic #NoosaTriathlon starts this week. The five-day event, celebrating sports, healthy lifestyles, fitness and fun is Australia’s highest profile triathlon event and the largest Olympic distance triathlon in the world. The event organisers recognise that the event has both a positive and negative environmental impact, hence that they have employed a transition to a sustainable event. The Noosa Triathlon Multi Sport Festival has committed to: - Continue to divert >80% of all event waste from landfill in 2023 and improve upon this measurement year on year. - 100 volunteer hours as educational Waste Warriors located in event venues - $1 from every entry purchased will go to Tourism Noosa’s tree rehabilitation programme “Trees for Tourism” in partnership with Noosa & District Landcare. - Where possible use products that are sustainable and don’t generate any CO2 eg. Solar powered light towers #welldone Noosa Triathlon :-)          To read the 2023 Noosa Triathlon Sustainability Policy, follow the below link: https://lnkd.in/g7PSf7Q4 If you’re a sporting organisation looking at developing a sustainability strategy, but not sure where or how to start, then Sports Environment Alliance can help you 💚🌎 https://lnkd.in/g3uXFXUi #SEA_theChange #noplanetnoplay #FriendsofSEA #oneplanetteam #NoPlanetNoPlay #PlanetMatters #NoPlanetB #Sport #SportandClimate #ClimageChange #ClimateChangeMitigation #ClimateEducation 

I may say #Denmark is my second home. I facilitate valuable connections for Danish and Dutch #associations, #clubs, #companies and #municipalities since 2016 (also Belgian). Always in both directions. Denmark remains a source of inspiration. Why: 1. Cycling Culture - we are both world class in facilitating mobility through cycling 2. Football - Danes feel at home in The Netherlands and vice versa 3. Water - we both grew up with water 4. Country of clubs - there's always a club around the corner 5. Embrace innovation and sustainability - ranked always in the top5 of most innovative countries 6. World explorers - key players in world trade, exploring the world 7. Happy people - we are amongst the happiest people in the world 8. Language - From Friesland up to the west of Denmark they speak the same dialect If you like to explore synergies between these countries, feel free to get in touch. (Picture: cycling through Copenhagen at Superkilen; March 2024)

Always A First Time, Taking a Plunge In 2020, I set a goal to do something significant at 40, but Covid-19 disrupted my plans. Now, approaching 42, I've decided to tackle a new challenge - running 42km at age 42 by signing up for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. Uncertain about what lies ahead - more running or walking, cramps, or even finishing the race - I know it's time to condition my body and prepare for this inaugural plunge. Besides physical training, I anticipate a mental battle. Will there be more marathons in the future? Time will tell. If you have any marathon training tips to share, I'd love to hear them. #MarathonPreparation

One Of The Greatest Leaders In This World Is A Marathon Runner. This weekend we witnessed the running of yet another extraordinary marathon race. This time in the beautiful Spanish city of Valencia. The Valencia Marathon course is recognised as one of the fastest courses on the world marathon circuit, and as a result it has produced some of the worlds best marathon times over recent years. The winner of this years race, Sisay Lemma from Ethiopia broke the course record, and smashed his own personal record, by over two minutes in running 2hrs 01 and 47 secs for the 42.2km distance. As we head closer and closer to the magical two hour marathon time being smashed in an official race ( Eliud Kipchoge did so in a staged event in Vienna in Nov 2019). There is one thing that stands out for me. Eliud Kipchoge himself, the greatest marathon runner in history, the very man who has blazed the trail for all who now follow. I believe Kipchoge is one of the greatest leaders in history. As Kipchoge, the man who consistently went sub 2hrs 2 mins in the marathon with his legendary exploits in Berlin since 2018, has installed the belief, the hunger and the motivation in this latest crop of marathon gazelles that the two hour barrier is not just achievable, but it is now a race to see who can accomplish it first. Sisay Lemma improved on his personal best time this weekend by an extraordinary margin, and one only thinks that on the right day, on the right course, with the right conditions, what many said was impossible, the two hour marathon barrier is going to be achieved. My personal opinion is we will see this happen in 2024. Kipchoge has gifted the running universe with many great things, but passing on this level of consciousness is truly his greatest achievement in my opinion. Leading by example, fearing nothing, believing no human is limited, and walking the talk race after race is also what makes Kipchoge my sentimental favourite to win his third Olympics Marathon in a row next year in Paris, something no one has done before. Whoever ends up breaking the two hour barrier for the marathon owes a slice of that history to Eliud Kipchoge, because without pioneers in this world, those who take on the impossible, we would never achieve such incredible things. #marathon #valencia #eliudkipchoge

My recent post on running generated some good discussion. Here's some stats which I hope you will find interesting; The world record time for men in the marathon is 2:01:39, set by Eliud Kipchoge. (a complete legend!) (He's also ran a sub 2 hour race in an unofficial event!) The world record time for women in the marathon is 2:14:04, set by Brigid Kosgei. (also a legend!) The oldest annual marathon, the Boston Marathon, started in 1897. The first Olympic marathon took place in 1896, in Athens, Greece. The average finish time for marathon runners worldwide is 4 hours 32 minutes and 47 seconds. In 2019, 7.5% of marathon finishers were aged 60 or older. - WOW! Almost half of marathon runners choose a marathon to participate in due to its location. The Tokyo Marathon is the youngest of the World Marathon Majors, established in 2007. The largest marathon in the world, the New York City Marathon, had 53,640 finishers in 2019. About 8.1% of marathon runners will hit “the wall” after the 20-mile mark. Runners aged 25-34 made up the largest group of marathon participants globally in 2020 at 28.2%. Approximately 22% of marathon runners worldwide include a marathon in their holiday plans. As an aside, these are my latest purchase - with a carbon plate insert. After all, at 63, you need a bit of help, right? #Synergy #healthsupplements

Don’t stop moving, no matter what happens! You’re only in competition with your yesterday’s self, no one else. My second marathon completed and despite the pain, the want to take a break, I powered through and feel all the better for it. Barcelona marathon was fantastic - a great city to run in, well organised, a great atmosphere, and ideal weather. Many people would ask ‘why put yourself through such challenges, such discomfort, and such an extreme?’ - because I want to push myself, learn more, and grow as a person. Keeping on moving doesn’t mean you have to always be going at 100mph, you can slow down and take stock at times when needed, and at other times you can speed-up and race. Despite there being nearly 20,000 runners, I was only competing against myself and my previous marathon PB, I was not focused on what times others completed the race in. I was super pleased to beat my PB from Lisbon, finishing the marathon in 3h 50min. Whilst this was a personal achievement, there was a shared sense of accomplishment from everyone in the event. Image description: three shots of Karl during and after the marathon: (1) Karl proudly holds his medal up in a selfie with the Arc de Triomf finish line in the background; (2) Karl stands in front of green foliage in a park setting holding his medal; and (3) action shot of Karl running in the event, about 30km into the race. #MondayMotivation #marathon #barcelona #KeepOnMoving #running #challenge

The Kuala Lumpur Marathon is the mother of all running events in Malaysia. Established in 1989, it has been branded as Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon in 2009 as Standard Chartered Bank had been the primary sponsor. My desire for the past 6 years were fulfilled today. I came, I ran & I earned the medal for Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon. If training for a marathon is hard, registering for the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon is even harder as priority is always given to existing KLSCM runners with the limited slots for new runners that is grabbed up within minutes of the registration opening. Despite the multiple cramps & pain on both legs, the experience had been rewarding. I could go one with the list (lack of sleep, body recovery, etc) but in the end it is all about me. I’m the sole reason for not being able to do better today with shorter stint of time and less pain. I’d train harder and be better prepared for the next Marathon. Looking forward for KL Towerthon in two weeks time. Firstly, I would like to give thanks to God Almighty for the strength to complete the Marathon. Secondly, I would like to give great thanks and love to my super awesome wonderful darling wife for her tireless support & encouragement. Despite knowing I’d get myself into extreme pain, while being reluctant, she still supports me to do what I want. Running a marathon is not about physical training alone but mental training as well. When your leg gives up on you, when you can no longer feel the ground with your foot, it would just be your heart and mind to decide whether to keep going or to stop. Life is so much similar to running a marathon. When everything else fails or goes wrong, it would just be your heart and mind to decide to keep beating the odds and go on. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) once said “It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.” Let’s keep moving forward. #klscm #klscm2023 #ididit #getfit2023 #championstrainloserscomplain #iamachampion #doyourbest #loveandletlive #loveothersasyouloveyourself #adventistrunners #keepmovingforward

Tanzanian John Stephen Akhwari was considered on of the best marathon runners in the world.He participated in the 1968 olympics in mexico city but wasn't accustomed to the high altitude. At about the halfway mark,he collided with another runner.Akwari was injured,hurting both his knee and shoulder;yet he continued the race with bandages and considerable pain-limping,walking and jogging to the finish. of the seventy five who started the race,only fifty-seven finished.Akhwari was number fifty seven-dead last. When he crossed the finish line,people asked him,"why did you continue the race when you were injured and in such pain?" He replied,"My nation did not send me thousands of kilometers to start a race,but rather to finish the race" Tony Elumelu says " Your circumstances today must not define your future. Embrace hard work, discipline, and sacrifice:The way to get to the top is to go the extra mile. No other way to get there if you don’t work hard. Have the discipline to say no to things that don’t serve you, and sacrifice now for future rewards. If you work hard and are disciplined, you will get what you desire in life. Be yourself –There are so many distractions and influences in the world we live in. For all the 43 African countries participating at the 9th world cooperation Industries WCI Forum Turkey Sept 2023,From multiple sectors including; Textile,Tourism & Travel,Agro-industry,Health and Medical,Energy & Electricity,Logistics and Trade,Business consultancy,Construction & Architecture,etc. Over 400 leading Turkish companies in many sectors have registered and are looking to collaborate and partner with you. You cant miss this great Opportunity,Register today and Grow with Turkey. [email protected] 256782556078 Calls & whatsap

I attempted to cycle 1,600km to Finland. I had barely left Berlin when I turned around… 🚴♂️ This weekend, I embarked on a 1,600km bikepacking adventure to Finland, cycling all the way wearing flip flops and attending the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Lahti. 💪 The idea was to show people that you can accomplish something (and may even enjoy it) without optimizing each and every aspect of it. 🤕 Unfortunately, after two attempts and only 60km of cycling, I had to make a difficult decision and call off the entire trip due to knee pain. 🦂 Wow, that stung! I'm not accustomed to giving up on my goals. And publicly announcing my endeavors only to fall short brought about feelings of disappointment and shame. 🫶 Yet, it's precisely these moments that remind us of our humanity. 💡 Acknowledging when it's time to quit, and allowing ourselves to do so despite the disappointment, is a valuable lesson. It's far more healing to face our failures head-on rather than hide from them. 🙏 So, while I’d love to be on my bike instead of my laptop right now, I'm still grateful for this little failure. It's a reminder that no matter how well prepared we are, there will be moments when our bodies or circumstances dictate a different path. 😅 And weirdly, I have a notion that there are many more of these moments to come during my run across Africa… ❓ How do you view failures? How do you embrace them as part of your journey? #running #africa #worldrecord #motivation #inspiration #mindset #failure #growth #humanity #personaldevelopment #cairotocapetown #peoplearegreat #sports

🏃♂️🌍 Did you know the world of marathons is filled with fascinating records and trends? Let's sprint through some marathon trivia that'll amaze you! #MarathonTrivia #RunningFacts 🥇 Eliud Kipchoge holds the men's world record with an astonishing time of 2:01:39, while Brigid Kosgei leads the women's with 2:14:04. Talk about speed! 🏅 The Boston Marathon, since 1897, stands as the oldest annual marathon, with the first Olympic marathon taking place just a year before in Athens. ⏱️ On average, marathoners worldwide finish in 4 hours 32 minutes and 47 seconds. But did you know in Switzerland, the average finish time is just 3:50? That's some swift running! 🗺️ Almost half the marathoners choose their race based on location. Can you blame them? Running through beautiful cities and landscapes is part of the charm! 📈 Surprisingly, runners aged 25-34 make up the largest group of marathon participants globally, at 28.2%. 🚧 And here's a fun (or not-so-fun) fact: about 8.1% of marathon runners hit “the wall” after the 20-mile mark. Pushing through that is the real victory! With iRewind, every marathon moment is captured – from the exhilarating start to the triumphant finish. Relive your glory, stride by stride, in personalized videos that tell your marathon story! 🏃♀️🌟 Lace up your shoes, pick a scenic route, and maybe, just maybe, you'll be part of the next set of fascinating marathon stats! #iRewind #iRewindMoments #EmotionInMotion #PersonalizedVictory