Flowers are left on Boylston Street after two explosions hit the Boston Marathon. (REUTERS)The running community considers itself a global family, and less than a week after the mindless tragedy that ripped through the Boston streets and sent shock waves around the world, it will put its shoes on and hit the road once more.

Sunday's London Marathon will go ahead as usual, but not exactly as planned. In the hours that followed one of Boston's bleakest days, a series of tributes, symbols and gestures were put together, all aimed at sending a message of solidarity across the Atlantic.

Race organizers swiftly arranged for three separate moments of silence, while every runner will wear a black ribbon of commemoration. There are other tokens of togetherness, too, ones that stem from a basic human desire for compassion.

Like from Colby Hanks, a Texan now running a personal well-being business in London, who will offer a silent prayer as she stands at the start.

Or from Olympic champion Mo Farah, expected to wear a special patch on his running vest. Or from Prince Harry,

The running community considers itself a global family, and less than a week after the mindless tragedy that ripped through the Boston streets and sent shock waves around the world, it will put its shoes on and hit the road once more.

Sunday's London Marathon will go ahead as usual, but not exactly as planned. In the hours that followed one of Boston's bleakest days, a series of tributes, symbols and gestures were put together, all aimed at sending a message of solidarity across the Atlantic.

Race organizers swiftly arranged for three separate moments of silence, while every runner will wear a black ribbon of commemoration. There are other tokens of togetherness, too, ones that stem from a basic human desire for compassion.

Like from Colby Hanks, a Texan now running a personal wellbeing business in London, who will offer a silent prayer as she stands at the start.

Or from Olympic champion Mo Farah, expected to wear a special patch on his running vest. Or from Prince Harry, who

(Getty Images)If any further proof was needed that runners possess an endearing streak of quirky madness, the Scottsdale Beat The Heat race this summer may just provide it.

Billed as the hottest sporting event on the planet, the inaugural race is being deliberately staged at the warmest time of year and during the most oppressive part of the day, all to maximize the discomfort and enhance the challenge of those either courageous or deranged enough to sign up.

Temperatures in the fashionable Arizona city are expected to tip the thermometer at upwards of 110 Fahrenheit on June 22, with participants set to complete a seven-mile course beginning at 2:47 p.m., the specific time when the heat is predicted to be at its fiercest.

"Whether someone has gone bungee jumping, ran an Ironman or run with the bulls, this is something they won't have experienced before," said race inventor Jason Rose, a Scottsdale PR executive. "This is about us choosing to celebrate the heat, not retreat from it."

The

The Cinderella story of the soccer season ended in a most heartbreaking fashion on Tuesday, as Spanish underdog Malaga was cruelly denied a place in the Champions League semifinals by an astonishing comeback from Borussia Dortmund.

Malaga, beset by financial crisis and in its first-ever season in Europe's top competition, was just seconds away from clinching an unexpected place in the last four when it led Dortmund 2-1 in the dying moments of the second leg of the home-and-home quarterfinal.

Sergio Sanchez of Malaga after defeat in the Champions League quarterfinal. (Getty Images)On the heels of a scoreless first leg in Malaga, nothing short of two Dortmund goals would have been enough to deny the underdogs, yet that was exactly what happened, with the Germans, who had hit the net just once in the previous 180 minutes of action between the teams, striking twice within the space of 60 seconds.

By the time Marco Reus and then Felipe Santana completed Dortmund's miracle recovery, regulation time had already expired and the additional four minutes allowed for injuries

(AP)A South American soccer club has made history by unfurling a giant banner that completely covered three-quarters of its stadium.

Fans of Nacional, based in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, spent nearly two years preparing the enormous banner that took hundreds of people to carry it into the Estadio Centenario arena ahead of a game on Thursday.

Fans of Uruguay's Nacional unfurl a gigantic flag before the start of a Copa Libertadores soccer match. (AP)The banner – spanning 1,800 feet by 150 feet – was created in Nacional's red, white and blue colors, complete with a team crest and a series of slogans. It was primarily made with fan volunteers, with the club providing some financial assistance and backing the project.

Each of the 5,400 fans who assisted in the production had their named etched into the material, along with the names of the club founders.

Preparation for the unfurling began several hours before the match against Mexican side Toluca in the Copa Libertadores tournament, which Nacional went on to win 4-0.

"It was extraordinary," said Jimmy Lianis, an Australian

As Kevin Ware takes his seat courtside for the Final Four on Saturday, Louisville's injured hero will receive one more reminder of just how much he means to his team.

Ware will see his No. 5 emblazoned on the practice jerseys of every member of the Cardinals squad with the program swiftly producing a series of "All In For 5" tops in a moving tribute to their stricken star.

Louisville will wear practice jerseys honoring injured teammate Kevin Ware. (Mike Rutherford@CardChronicle)The sophomore broke his tibia during the first half of the team's 85-63 victory over Duke on Sunday, meaning he will miss what would have been the biggest moment of his career – the Final Four in Atlanta.

Yet his bravery – even whispering words of encouragement to his colleagues as he was stretchered from the floor – endeared him to much of the nation.

In the Cardinals' camp, the outpouring of affection from the Louisville group towards Ware has been constant ever since they booked their showdown with Wichita State, with coach Rick Pitino spending hours with him in the hospital and constant well-wishing

Brazilian government officials fear a drastic drop in visitor numbers for the World Cup and Olympic Games following the gang rape of an American tourist in Rio de Janeiro last weekend.

The South American country's high crime rate was brought into sharp focus when the woman and a male companion were subjected to a brutal six-hour attack allegedly carried by operators of a private transport service.

The National Stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, will play host to the 2014 World Cup. (AP)With soccer's showpiece, the FIFA World Cup, starting in Brazil in 14 months and the Rio Olympics set for 2016, members of the government and organizing committee realize swift action is needed to prevent potential visitors from being "scared away."

A source connected to the World Cup organizing committee told Yahoo! Sports that an aggressive plan is being urgently implemented as a direct response to the bus attack.

"There are three parts," said the source. "Obviously the first is to take firm action against the perpetrators of this crime and any similar crimes. The law enforcement

Just when it seemed the National Football League and its playing personnel might be becoming a bit too enlightened on the topic of sexual equality, up stepped Seattle Seahawks defensive end Chris Clemons to skew the pigskin globe off its axis again.

Chris Clemons (Getty Images)There have been many words to describe the still-hypothetical figure that is the FOGFP (First Openly Gay Football Player): brave, role model, historic.

"Selfish," however, is not one of them.

"Who on God's earth is this person saying he’s coming out of the closet in the NFL?" Clemons tweeted in a series of messages over the weekend. He followed that up with an explanation: "I'm not against anyone but I think it's a selfish act. They're just trying to make themselves bigger than the team."

Oh Chris, where to start?

Selfishness and sexual openness are rarely shoveled into the same category, but just as it is correct to expect respect for human rights so too is Clemens entitled to have his views considered with an open mind.