Who runs the world? Vegan girls!

They certainly run the 11-day Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert. Forty-two-year-old vegan Briton Fiona Oakes ran 151 miles—more than a marathon every 24 hours—in the world's toughest foot race.

Official U.S. Navy Imagery | cc by 2.0

Oakes joins an elite club of vegan and vegetarian athletes, including nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, Ultraman triathlete Rich Roll, ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, and record-breaking 100-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh, who know that a great performance starts with healthy food.

Ready to get your own motor running? 

Animal abusers, be warned: You do not want to mess with PETA cruelty caseworker Kristin DeJournett. Not only is she relentless in pursuing justice against people who hurt and kill animals, she's also a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

After a rigorous series of tryouts that tested competitors' stamina, technique, and expertise, Kristin was recently chosen from among thousands of black belts across the country to participate in a prestigious international Tae Kwon Do tournament in England.

To prepare for the competition, Kristin and her teammates met twice weekly for grueling practice sessions that lasted up to four hours. Kristin also trained daily for at least an hour with jogging, sprinting, and calisthenics—all fueled by a vegan diet, of course.

"I was able to build lean muscle and shed fat by eating lots of vegetable protein (tofu, beans, and faux meat), whole grains, and a ton of leafy green vegetables and fruits," says Kristin. "I've noticed that a vegan diet helps me feel quicker and lighter on my feet."

Kristin reports that Team USA cleaned up—all the teams earned gold medals in their age groups—and Kristin captured the bronze in an individual event!

Are you a vegan athlete? Post a comment below to tell us how you fuel your workouts.

Written by Alisa Mullins

Katharina Wirnitzer in action.

Athletes who are still choking down chicken or pounding whey-protein shakes can be relieved to know that they can trade in that garbage for gardein and soy protein powder. A new book, Bikeextreme, by sports scientist Dr. Katharina Wirnitzer is out to prove that as far as energy and vitamins go, vegan athletes are not at any disadvantage compared to those who eat meat. Wirnitzer also argues that even extreme athletes require far less protein than U.S. government guidelines (at the prompting of the meat, dairy, and egg industries) would have you believe.

"To maintain good health, a daily intake of 8–12 percent is more than enough and ideal for the highly strained metabolism of athletes," Wirnitzer says. She makes it clear that vegan diets "are not only well suited for all phases of life, as well as for top athletes, but if adequately implemented and combined with a supporting lifestyle, also optimally suited for endurance sports." To back up her research, Wirnitzer has first-hand knowledge of the subject—she's a two-time finisher of the grueling TransAlp Challenge mountain-bike race.

With endurance athletes like Dr. Katharina Wirnitzer, Brendan Brazier, and Rich Roll reaching the peak of their performance on a plant-based diet, there is no question about it: If you're a jock reaching for the top of your game, it's time to go vegan!

Written by Jeff Mackey

Orlando Magic center Dwight "Superman" Howard recently revealed that his favorite movie is Finding Nemo. (Pause for the resounding "aww" as readers imagine this 6' 11" Defensive Player of the Year watching the animal-friendly animated classic.)

sportsillustrated.cnn / CC

While that's great all by itself, Howard has also reportedly said, "Fish are friends." Dwight, we couldn't agree more, and we hope that your kind words will inspire fans and other athletes to realize how awesome sea kittens are.

Maybe Dwight's next step will be to consult John Salley about fish-free cuisine …?

Written by Christine Doré

Now that the World Health Organization has declared the swine flu outbreak "a pandemic," I'm going to predict that PETA's "flu prevention" mask will sneak past blinged-out cell phones as the must-have accessory this summer. I have a feeling that fashionistas and health officials all over the world will soon agree with me.

Despite denials issued by big pig farms and the change in the name of the illness, funnyman Jim Carrey hit the nail right on the head when he said, "There wouldn't be a swine flu if we treated the pigs better!"

PETA's swine flu mask will serve as a reminder of that.

Written by Karin Bennett