2010: State of the Sport

From Running USA’s annual report:

U.S. marathons grew nearly 10%; more record finisher highs; ING New York City largest ever

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – (March 28, 2010) – In 2009, U.S. marathons overcame the “gloom and doom” of the recession by posting another year of record participation with 467,000 estimated finishers as well as the largest percent increase (nearly 10%) in more than 25 years. Across the country last year from New York City (left, PhotoRun) to Seattle, marathons most likely either sold-out or had a record field, and to-date, 2010 looks as promising with sold-out marathon fields at Walt Disney World, Chevron Houston, Honda LA, the upcoming 114th Boston and this October’s Bank of America Chicago.

There are several interconnected reasons for this marathon “mania” including: 1) a response to the bad economy (e.g., relieve stress, more time to train for some, etc.), 2) training for and running a marathon is something that one can control unlike the stock market or the economy, 3) positive, feel good energy surrounds marathon preparation and race weekend, 4) well-organized, fun events and 5) the challenge of 26.2 miles – a greater sense of accomplishment for many during bad economic times.

The following tables and lists provide a summary of the demographics and trends for U.S. marathons. It is interesting to note that since 2002, marathon median times have become gradually faster for both genders.

See the stats here!

A Rogue in Runners World!

You may or may not know about the elite Team Rogue that has recently been formed. The group is comprised of post-collegiate runners who are all aiming to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials in their respective events, and ultimately head to the Olympics themselves.

Two of these runners, Adam Perkins and Kyle Miller, headed to Boston last weekend for the Reebok Boston Indoor Games where Bernard Lagat was attempting to set a new American record in the indoor 5000m. Adam and Kyle were pacers for this event, and did their job perfectly – Bernard Lagat lowered the American indoor 5000m record to 13:11.50.

Adam came back shortly after to pace the mile and was then interviewed by Runners World – check out this substantial article that they published on Adam and the fine art of pacing!

Trust your training

Especially intended for those racing in San Antonio this weekend, this bit of confidence-boosting pre-race advice from coach Amy Anderson is excellent for any runner, at any point in their training, to be reminded of.
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If it’s your first marathon, you wonder if you can run 26.2 miles. You haven’t done it in training, so how do you know if you can do it on race day?

If you have a time goal, you wonder how you can run 26.2 miles and average MGP while doing it. You’ve done all your long runs at long run pace. Maybe a few MGP miles thrown in a Lab, certainly some quality workouts at MGP, but not 26 of them! So how do you know if you can do it on race day?

It can be a very scary thing to wonder if you can run an average of marathon goal pace for 26.2 miles, because it isn’t something you can “test” in training. You can practice by running a few miles at MGP. You can practice by running some [very] long runs. But you can’t put it all together in training, because the risk of injury and burnout are too high. Race day is “exam day” and it’s normal to wonder if you’ll pass or fail.

So how do you know?

Trust your training. Similar to studying for the final exam, you’ve done all the work. Your training is behind you and you did it. You went to class (your quality workouts and long runs), you did your homework (your midweek runs). [And by the way, if you didn't, you can decide next time what you want to do differently. But for now, own your training; it is what it is] Trust your training. Believe in it; it will pay off. It’s worked for hundreds of other Rogues and it will work for you.

Trust yourself. You have to believe that your goal is achievable. You CAN perform up to your capabilities. If you’re having trouble buying into that, trusting that you can do it, then review your 10 positives. Put them on post-it notes on your bathroom mirror, the dashboard of your car, your computer screen. Carry them with you everywhere you go for the next couple of days. Trust yourself. You can do this.

And then there are the words of a very famous, very successful coach, Dr.George Sheehan :

“Trust in the magic of the day.” That quote is in my head before every race I do. You can do things on race day that you simply can not do in training. You draw energy from the spectators and from other athletes. You have supported aid stations all along the way. You’re tapered, rested, well nourished. Race day is the peak of your mental and physical training. When it all comes together on race day, it is magical indeed. Trust in the magic of the day.