Sports | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/sports/RSS feed for SportsenWed, 22 Jul 2026 13:42:30 +0000A New World Record in the Greased Pole Walk Brought Extra Excitement to This Year's World Eskimo-Indian Olympics in Alaskahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-world-record-in-the-greased-pole-walk-brought-extra-excitement-to-this-years-world-eskimo-indian-olumpics-in-alaska-180989164/A 45-year-old record fell at the annual sporting event, which celebrates Indigenous athleticism and culture with events including the knuckle hop and the Alaskan high kickWed, 22 Jul 2026 13:42:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-world-record-in-the-greased-pole-walk-brought-extra-excitement-to-this-years-world-eskimo-indian-olumpics-in-alaska-180989164/New Women's Pro Baseball League Teams Are Named for These Pioneering American Women, Giving Female Players Another League of Their Ownhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-womens-pro-baseball-league-teams-are-named-for-these-pioneering-women-giving-female-players-another-league-of-their-own-180989159/The Firebells, Heights, Queens and Hunters—of San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Boston—were inspired by an honorary firefighter, a civil rights activist, a first basewoman and a physicianMon, 20 Jul 2026 19:34:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-womens-pro-baseball-league-teams-are-named-for-these-pioneering-women-giving-female-players-another-league-of-their-own-180989159/For the First Time in 27 Years, a Man Set a New World Record for Fastest Mile. People Have Chased the Goal for Centurieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-in-27-years-a-man-set-a-new-world-record-for-fastest-mile-people-have-chased-the-goal-for-centuries-180989154/British runners in particular have long tried to cross the finish line in less than 4 minutes, records show, sometimes running in the nude or trying to win a betMon, 20 Jul 2026 18:04:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-in-27-years-a-man-set-a-new-world-record-for-fastest-mile-people-have-chased-the-goal-for-centuries-180989154/With a Few Tweaks, the Country’s Favorite Sports Went From Pastimes to Part of the Fabric of Our Culturehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/with-few-tweaks-countrys-favorite-sports-went-pastimes-part-fabric-culture-180988816/Can you imagine a football game where there was never a passing play? The forward pass is just one of the innovations that made these contests into eventsMon, 15 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/with-few-tweaks-countrys-favorite-sports-went-pastimes-part-fabric-culture-180988816/