Running (Louisiana): The third annual Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Marathon [likely to be commonly...

...(if not officially) known as the Mardi Gras Marathon] is a running marathon (23.87 miles) across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (LPC) from Mandeville, Louisiana to Metairie, Louisiana (a suburb of New Orleans) that takes place on the Sunday that is two Sundays before Fat Tuesday.  [The idea is for the marathon to help officially kick off the normal two weeks of heavy partying in New Orleans known as Mardi Gras and draw more international attention to it.]  Since there are two parallel bridges that make up the LPC, the longest one must be the one used for the race and the other one can be used for auto traffic.


Future Challenges:

1) First race to have the Governor of Louisiana fire the starting pistol.

2) First blind person to complete the race.

3) First blind person to complete the race backwards.  The blind backwards runner(s) must start at the same time as the regular marathon BUT must start in Metairie, Louisiana and run to Mandeville, Louisiana.

4) First person to complete the marathon backwards.  The backwards runner(s) must start at the same time as the regular marathon BUT must start in Metairie, Louisiana and run to Mandeville, Louisiana.

5) Third annual "Lavitsef Sdrawkcab" ("Backwards Festival" spelled backwards) in Mandeville, Louisiana that officially starts after the last "forward" runner of the Mardi Gras Marathon leaves Mandeville (that's when the last forward runner steps onto the LPC bridge).  The festival is to continue the fun started by the Mardi Gras Marathon and to cheer, applaud, and celebrate all the backwards marathon runners who arrive from Metairie, Louisiana.  Everyone on the festival grounds are to walk backwards or people are allowed and encouraged to hit the violators with water balloons.  All carnival rides are to go backwards, including the roller coaster [though it can do so by simply turning its seats around to face the opposite direction].  "Official" attire at the festival is "Superman" style (underwear on the outside of one's clothes).  For the City of Mandeville to win this future challenge, at least one of its local music radio stations must, for three years in a row, start playing all of its music backwards from the moment the last "forward" runner leaves Mandeville to when the festival is officially over.  [Children, teenagers, their parents, and college students will absolutely love this silly festival.  And what is outlined here will VERY likely only be the beginning of the silliness as other backwards silly activities will assuredly be added to this festival.]

Using an exo-skeleton (which cannot be recharged or power supplemented during the race), first paraplegic to finish the marathon within:

6) Six hours (which would mean a running speed of ~4 mph).

7) Three hours (~8 mph).

8) Finish the race before the fastest able-bodied runner does.

9) One hour (~24 mph).

Using an exo-skeleton (which cannot be recharged or power supplemented during the race), first quadriplegic to finish the marathon within:

10) Six hours.

11) Three hours.

12) Finish the race before the fastest able-bodied runner does.

13) One hour.

Discussion:
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