1. “Running marathons isn’t just for superathletes.”
what’s your New Year’s resolution? If statistics are any indication, more folks than ever will be planning to run a long-distance race. Indeed, marathons are hot: According to Running USA, a nonprofit that promotes the sport, there were 467,000 marathon finishers in the U.S. in 2009, up 18 percent over the past five years. And spots for the 2011 Boston Marathon filled up in a record eight hours and three minutes, compared with over two months for the 2010 race.
Ryan Lamppa, a researcher for Running USA, credits the boom to beginners’ programs and high-profile participants—for instance, Al Roker of the Today show and Chilean mining-accident survivor Edison Peña ran the New York City Marathon in 2010. But you can also thank the economy; a number of folks affected by the tough job market and tighter budgets have taken up marathon running as a rewarding stress reliever. “To start from nothing and one day cross the finish line, you’ve really achieved something,” says Mindy Solkin, head coach of The Running Center, a training facility in New York City. “The experience will help you in all areas of your life.”
2. “Bigger isn’t always better.”
If you’re only ever going to run one marathon, you may be drawn to the big, popular races in cities like New York or Chicago. But don’t be too quick to write off the hometown crowd—smaller races can make you feel like a VIP, offering quirky swag and personalized care. Participants in Orlando’s Walt Disney World Marathon, for example, get custom racing bibs so spectators can cheer on individual runners by name. The Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Pa., showers racers with candy, pretzels and other treats along the course. And finishers of the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, N.Y., receive a small bottle of bubbly and a locally produced wine glass.
Still, smaller marathons can sometimes mean big logistical snags. Susan Younker, a registered nurse, says that during the 2010 Air Force Marathon in Ohio, bottlenecked traffic forced her to drop her car nearly 2 miles away, so she missed the starting gun by 20 minutes. Though officials at the Air Force Marathon say they’re working to address such problems at future events, Younker says she won’t be back, which is “somewhat sad, considering I did both my first half and full [marathon] there.”
3. “We’re becoming a lot more fun for spectators.”
Unless you’re a top-flight athlete, running a marathon will take at least three hours. So for runners with fidgety kids in tow, finding a family-friendly race is key. Fortunately, there are plenty of options. Destination races like the Disney Marathon cater to both grown-up runners and kid spectators alike, with Mickey, Goofy and Tinker Bell on the course for entertainment.
In fact, a number of marathon coordinators are working to make races more fun for those who watch. For example, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon series, held annually in 17 cities including Las Vegas, San Antonio and Philadelphia, features live music at each mile marker. Logistics are also essential to making the sideline experience more enjoyable; look for courses that either form loops or turn around at the halfway point, allowing loved ones to cheer on a runner without driving from place to place. Denise Reaman, an eight-time marathoner from Macungie, Pa., says her spectator-husband likes the Philadelphia Marathon. A self-labeled “slow runner,” Reaman says the loop course makes it easy for her husband to see her from several spots without running himself ragged in the process.
4. “You can get the same finish-line glory at half the distance.”
many runners are attracted to the idea of a distance event but are daunted by the 26.2-mile marathon—which is a big part of why half-marathons are the hottest road race in America, with participation growing 24 percent in the past year alone, more than other distance races combined. Though a 13.1-mile run is a challenge in itself, the shorter training time required—three months, as opposed to the four to five recommended for a full marathon—and shorter recovery period make the race popular among both beginners and experienced runners. Novices find it’s easier to train for a half-marathon, while the less-taxing distance means more opportunities for seasoned runners to chase a personal record. “I run three to four half-marathons each year,” says Steve Carmichael, a computer-software architect from Ohio.
Another plus: For many, finishing a half-pint race is a far more reachable goal than completing a full marathon. The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis, which traverses the famed Indy 500 racetrack and is the largest half-marathon in the U.S., sees 35,000 runners cross the finish line annually.
5. “We like amateurs—they help us pay for the pros.”
Marathon running is a somewhat unusual sport in that it allows amateur and pro athletes to compete on the same course. “A casual football player can’t join in the Super Bowl, but you can run a marathon with the pros,” says Solkin. That’s pretty much where the similarities between elite and recreational runners end, however. While the pros get sizable prize purses and bonuses for breaking records, most participants have to pay to play. (Entry for amateur participants can range from to upwards of 0.) And at some races, part of that registration fee even goes toward paying the pros. For example, the ,500 winner’s prize for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon gets financed by the race’s event budget, which registration fees help fund, says Dan Cruz, communications director at the race’s operator, Competitor Group.
But not all big races operate this way. The winner of the men’s division at the 2010 Boston Marathon took home 5,000, including a ,000 bonus for breaking the course record. The full amount was provided by its sponsor, finance company John Hancock.
