Athletics: Olympic Marathon Runner Takes Plunge; HydroWorx Helps Put American Dan Browne on World Running Stage

MIDDLETOWN, Pa., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Dan Browne wants to go where no American marathon runner has gone since 1972 -- to Olympic Gold.

HydroWorx, the Middletown, Pa. maker of high-end fitness and rehabilitation therapy pools, is helping him get there.

Browne, who earned a spot in the 2004 Athens Olympic games with a third place finish at marathon team trials in Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 7, is one of several elite U.S. runners taking part in an experimental, high-tech training program called the Oregon Project coached by marathon legend Alberto Salazar.

HydroWorx pools play a major role in the Oregon Project whose five-year mission is to take American runners to the top of the sport by training harder and smarter, and by taking advantage of modern technology and science.

The program involves sophisticated software that monitors organ function during workouts, vibrating platforms that help build running muscles, high- pressure oxygen chambers that speed muscle healing, and simulated high altitude living conditions that help increase lung capacity.

And of course, they run - sometimes as many as 120 miles per week. Unfortunately, that's not enough. Kenyan runners, who currently dominate the sport, usually run 180 to 200 miles per week.

That's where HydroWorx comes in.

The heart of the HydroWorx 500 is a variable speed underwater treadmill, directional water jets, and adjustable water depth that allow a runner to exactly duplicate dry-land running form at a fraction of their real weight. Runners can tack on about 60 extra miles per week without over-stressing their bodies.

"I feel these pools and the underwater treadmill will help revitalize long distance running in the U.S. We can increase the mileage our guys run without increasing the wear and tear on their joints," Salazar said.

HydroWorx formed in 1995 in Middletown, Pa. It now serves professional and college sports teams, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and even residential customers in 42 states and three countries.

Also, visit the HydroWorx company Web site at : www.hydroworx.com .