Tough Guy Challenge 2010

Tough Guy Challenge 2010: "

The 24th annual Tough Guy Challenge took place last weekend, on Sunday, January 31st, on South Perton Farm, near Wolverhampton, England. Despite being billed as 'the safest most dangerous taste of physical and mental endurance pain in the world', this year's race still attracted over 5,000 men and women - all of them signing a disclaimer saying 'It's my own bloody fault for being here'. About 600 racers did not complete the course this year - the winner being Paul Jones of Oswestry, England, completing the course in one hour 18 minutes. The Challenge is annual event to raise cash for charity with funds going to the Mr. Mouse Farm for Unfortunates. Special thanks today to photographer Mike King, who was kind enough to share 16 of his great photographs of the 2010 Tough Guy Challenge below. (31 photos total)

A competitor emerges from muddy water during the Tough Guy Challenge, at South Perton Farm, in Wolverhampton, England, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. Thousands run the biannual assault course, and are challenged by 21 different obstacles, including, fire, tunnels, and swamps to complete the track. (© Mike King)

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Dogs and sleds

Dogs and sleds: "

Dogsleds are in the news lately, as several races have recently taken place around the Northern Hemisphere, and as transportation choices for both a meeting of the G-7 and the start of the 2010 U.S. census. Mushers brought representatives to Iqaluit, a small village in Nunavut Territory, chosen to host a recent G-7 meeting, in part so Canada could assert sovereignty over its part of the Arctic. The 2010 U.S. Census, as per tradition, kicked off its count on January 25th in a rural part of Alaska in the small village of Noorvik, as census takers arrived by dogsled. And recent dogsled races include Le Grand Odyssee, the Sedivackuv Long, Pirena, the Aviemore Husky Sled Dog Rally and many more smaller regional competitions. Collected here are a handful of recent photos of sleds, dogs, and their humans. (30 photos total)

Three-year-old J-Sun Inti howls to the tunes of his owner's harmonica. He is part of the Boston Snowdogs dog slead team out of Dorchester as they awaited to take part in the Myopia dog sled competition on Saturday January 16, 2010 in Hamilton, Massachusetts. J-Sun Inti was a rescue dog and was adopted in Peru, his name means 'son of the sun' in the Tarahumara language. (Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff)

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Dance around the world, part II

Dance around the world, part II: "

We humans are natural dancers - bodies in rhythmic motion completely alone, or in groups large and small, or in front of an audience. Dancers can communicate ideas, preserve cultural identities, strengthen social bonds, or just have a lot of fun. Collected here is another recent group of photographs of us, human beings around the world, professional and amateur, in motion for all of the reasons above and more. [Previously: Dance around the world, part I] (35 photos total)

A dancer of the Momix Dance Theatre Company performs a scene of 'Bothanica' at the Olympic Theatre in Rome February 3, 2010. (REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi)

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Carnival 2010

Carnival 2010: "

Once more, it is Carnival Season in many countries around the world with a Roman Catholic heritage. Celebrations and parades are put on just prior to the observance of Lent. Over the past few weeks parades and celebrations have taken place throughout Europe, the Caribbean and South America. An estimated 730,000 foreign tourists, many fleeing snowy winter conditions in Europe and the United States, traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for this year's celebrations. Collected here are a handful of images from some of the elaborate celebrations of this Carnival season. (39 photos total)

A young woman participates in the Red Cross Children's Carnival competition at the Queen's Park Savannah in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on February 6, 2010. (REUTERS/Andres De Silva)

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Carnival 2010

Carnival 2010: "

Once more, it is Carnival Season in many countries around the world with a Roman Catholic heritage. Celebrations and parades are put on just prior to the observance of Lent. Over the past few weeks parades and celebrations have taken place throughout Europe, the Caribbean and South America. An estimated 730,000 foreign tourists, many fleeing snowy winter conditions in Europe and the United States, traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for this year's celebrations. Collected here are a handful of images from some of the elaborate celebrations of this Carnival season. (39 photos total)

A young woman participates in the Red Cross Children's Carnival competition at the Queen's Park Savannah in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on February 6, 2010. (REUTERS/Andres De Silva)

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