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Pride, joy, and celebration
art

8 Unique Festivals and Quirky Events in Washington, DC

A city known for its history and monuments is lit up by celebrations year-round
Gueux, France

Reims-Gueux F1 Circuit

A road that ends in the middle of a farmer’s field is one of the only remnants of this once-famous racetrack.
A bronze statue of a golden retriever holding two flags in its mouth.
Ashland, Massachusetts

Spencer the Marathon Dog Statue

This sculpture is dedicated to a local therapy dog who later became the official mascot of the 126th Boston Marathon.
Chester, England

Roodee Cross

A medieval emblem located in the middle of a racetrack.
To ride these contraptions, riders need bravery, tights, and a vest.
victorian

5 Cycling Races Even More Intense Than the Tour de France

Get your penny farthing to the starting line.
April White June 27, 2024
Taken in 1929, French race car driver Hellé Nice posed for this photo along the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, a racing track about 19 miles south of Paris.
automotive history

How Women Used Cars To Fuel Female Empowerment

From a 1915 suffragist road trip to the “First Lady of Drag Racing.”
Nancy Nichols March 20, 2024
giant food

Podcast: A Giant Spectacle in Goffstown

Row, row, row your pumpkin quickly down the stream.
The Podcast Team January 25, 2024
Riders Azeri Coby (foreground) and Darren Charges Strong (in red) duel it out in an Indian Relay race at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington.
sports

Indian Relay May Just Be America’s Most Extreme Sport

For Indigenous participants of the bareback horse race, the sport connects them to centuries of history.
Laura Kiniry January 18, 2024
Three Forks, Montana

Missouri Headwaters State Park

The source of America's longest river is also a historical landmark and the start of a famous nude run.
Seward, Alaska

Iditarod Mile 0 Marker

The beginning of the historic Iditarod Trail connecting the Alaskan cities of Seward and Nome.
Horse personalities have to be factored in, as well.
horses

Could This Be the Most Midwestern Competition of All?

Just when you thought Wisconsin couldn’t get any more quaint.
Jennifer Billock November 2, 2023
To ride these contraptions, riders need bravery, tights, and a vest.
victorian

The Quirky Victorian Invention That Inspired a Risky Race

Competitors battle it out from seven feet in the air.
Indi Bains October 24, 2023
Costumes and cheap beer are staples of most weird sports, says photographer Sol Neelman, but no one takes dressing up quite as seriously as one of his all-time favorite sports events: Kaiju Live Monster Wrestling (formally known as the Kaiju Big Battel) in Queens, New York. “Kaiju monster wrestling has always been my favorite,” says Neelman. “Mainly because I don't know what's happening. There are a lot of people that follow the storylines and follow the characters. It's kind of like a mix of pro wrestling, Godzilla, and daytime soap opera.”
monsters

Monster Wrestling And Other Weird, Wonderful Sports from Around the World

From traditional Japanese log riding to charitable llama races in Colorado, this photographer has seen it all.
Roxanne Hoorn September 26, 2023
The unsanctioned Cannonball Run—an approximately 2,700-mile race from New York to California—involves driving extremely, illegally fast on public roads.
roadside attractions

6 Winding Tales of Epic Road Trips

Including the United States' first coast-to-coast car adventure, its fastest, and one of its absolute worst.
April White August 11, 2023
East Point, Georgia

The Dick Lane Velodrome

While The Dick Lane Velodrome is Atlanta’s official home of track cycling and Georgia's only velodrome, many are unfamiliar with this community gem.
A tall stone bell tower rises
Cavriana, Italy

Cavriana Castle

An annual goat race takes place within the walls of this medieval castle.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (left), Aéropostale pilot and author of <em>The Little Prince</em>, stands in front of a plane in 1929.
deserts

The Daring Desert Pilots That Inspired ‘The Little Prince’

And the modern pilots retracing their pioneering airmail flights.
Cat Rainsford July 12, 2023
Lookout from plaque, featuring Fiesta Island across the water to the left, where most of the race took place.
San Diego, California

Birthplace of Modern Triathlon

In September 1974, a small group of athletes completed the first modern triathlon event in San Diego's Mission Bay.