Runners
I LOVE THIS PHOTO of my sister, Sarah, and me running together when we were kids. Four decades later, I still remember the moment. I’m 8 and she’s 3, and we’re holding hands, sprinting across the Mall in Washington, D.C., where our family lived for a time. The truth is, I’m pulling her along, faster than she could possibly go on her own. But look at those joyful-jailbreak expressions on our faces. We’re silent-laughing—laughing so hard that no sound comes out. I thought of that photo while reading “My Sister, the Runner?” Writer at Large Steve Friedman’s account of coaxing his younger (and defiantly nonrunning) sister, Ann, into doing a 5-K with him (page 98). I think it’s one of the best stories we’ve ever published. It’s about running the way The Godfather is about the mafia. What it’s really about is family. When it comes to running, Sarah is the anti-Ann. She started in college after deciding on a whim to do a triathlon. She did both all through law school and babies, and now, at 42, she’s the most dedicated and decorated athlete in the family. She’s done four marathons, and although an old knee injury slows her down, she often wins her age group in triathlons and occasionally wins outright. In August, she com- COURTESY OF MARATHONFOTO (RACE) The idea is to work more like siblings, and direct additional time, talent, and resources toward producing more original content for the Web and smartphones— where runners are spending more of their time—while still making great magazines. So look for a Web site redesign and a new mobile app from us early in 2015. Beginning with this double issue, our first, the frequency of Runner’s World will go from 12 issues per year to 11. (Existing subscriptions will be extended by one issue.) We are also integrating the editorial staffs of RW and sibling title Running Times, which speaks exclusively to highly dedicated, competitive, front-of-the-pack runners (that’s the cover of RT’s Jan/ Feb issue below). RT’s frequency will also change, from 10 issues per year to six bimonthly issues. peted in the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships in the sprint division, finishing in 1:19:49. “I never saw myself as someone who could win races,” she says. “But when I turned 40, I decided to really turn it on and see what I could do. I’ve gotten faster each year. We’ll see how long I can keep that up…”
I LOVE THIS PHOTO of my sister, Sarah,
and me running together when
we were kids. Four decades later,
I still remember the moment. I’m
8 and she’s 3, and we’re holding
hands, sprinting across the Mall
in Washington, D.C., where our
family lived for a time. The truth
is, I’m pulling her along, faster
than she could possibly go on her
own. But look at those joyful-jailbreak
expressions on our faces.
We’re silent-laughing—laughing
so hard that no sound comes out.
I thought of that photo while
reading “My Sister, the Runner?”
Writer at Large Steve Friedman’s
account of coaxing his younger
(and defiantly nonrunning) sister,
Ann, into doing a 5-K with
him (page 98). I think it’s one of
the best stories we’ve ever published.
It’s about running the way
The Godfather is about the mafia.
What it’s really about is family.
When it comes to running,
Sarah is the anti-Ann. She started
in college after deciding on a
whim to do a triathlon. She did
both all through law school and
babies, and now, at 42, she’s the
most dedicated and decorated
athlete in the family. She’s done
four marathons, and although an
old knee injury slows her down,
she often wins her age group in
triathlons and occasionally wins
outright. In August, she com-
COURTESY OF MARATHONFOTO (RACE)
The idea is to
work more like
siblings, and
direct additional
time, talent, and
resources toward
producing more
original content
for the Web and
smartphones—
where runners are
spending more of
their time—while
still making great
magazines. So
look for a Web site
redesign and a new
mobile app from
us early in 2015.
Beginning with this
double issue, our
first, the frequency
of Runner’s World
will go from 12
issues per year
to 11. (Existing
subscriptions will
be extended by
one issue.) We are
also integrating the
editorial staffs of
RW and sibling title
Running Times,
which speaks
exclusively to
highly dedicated,
competitive,
front-of-the-pack
runners (that’s the
cover of RT’s Jan/
Feb issue below).
RT’s frequency will
also change, from
10 issues per year
to six bimonthly
issues.
peted in the USA Triathlon Age
Group National Championships
in the sprint division, finishing
in 1:19:49. “I never saw myself as
someone who could win races,”
she says. “But when I turned 40,
I decided to really turn it on and
see what I could do. I’ve gotten
faster each year. We’ll see how
long I can keep that up…”
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RACES + PLACES<br />
Marine Corps 17.75-K<br />
Honor the founding of the U.S. Marine<br />
Corps in 1775 (and secure entry to<br />
October’s Marine Corps Marathon)<br />
by completing this roughly 11-mile<br />
ramble through the wooded, 15,000-<br />
acre Prince William Forest Park. At the<br />
finish outside the Marine Corps Base<br />
Quantico in Virginia, Marines award<br />
runners with passes that allow them to<br />
skip the marathon lottery.<br />
March 28, Dumfries, Virginia, marinemarathon.com<br />
Shamrock Shuffle 8-K<br />
As the world’s largest 8-K, this Chicago<br />
event attracts about 40,000 runners<br />
each year. The flat loop works<br />
plenty of Chicago landmarks into its<br />
nearly five miles: It begins and ends at<br />
Grant Park (home of “The Bean”), and<br />
passes the Chicago Theatre and the<br />
Willis Tower. Though the event takes<br />
place two weeks after the city dyes its<br />
river green for St. Patrick’s Day, many<br />
runners dress in festive garb and stay<br />
for the postrace party with its live<br />
band and free beer.<br />
March 29, Chicago, shamrockshuffle.com<br />
Spring Lake 5-Mile Run<br />
Kick off summer by racing with saltwater<br />
breezes at your back (hopefully)<br />
in this Memorial Day Weekend classic.<br />
Miles one and five run parallel to the<br />
Atlantic Ocean, while the middle miles<br />
weave through neighborhoods and<br />
Spring Lake’s small downtown. The<br />
race is New Jersey’s largest—its field<br />
(more than 12,500 annually) dwarfs<br />
Spring Lake’s year-round population<br />
(about 3,000)—and it marks the start<br />
of summer for this shore town.<br />
May 24, Spring Lake, New Jersey, springlake5.org<br />
Bay to Breakers 12-K<br />
Founded in 1912, this 12-K (about<br />
7.46 miles) is the longest consecutively<br />
run annual race in the world.<br />
Long known for its street-party vibe,<br />
the race banned nudity, floats, and<br />
midrace alcohol in 2009. (You’ll still<br />
get to celebrate with a craft beer at<br />
the postrace party, though.) The event<br />
begins blocks from the San Francisco<br />
Bay and reaches its highest point<br />
around mile five after a steep 250-foot<br />
climb. <strong>Runners</strong> then descend to finish<br />
beside the Pacific Ocean. Participants’<br />
From top: Chicago’s Shamrock Shuffle 8-K,<br />
San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers 12-K, Iowa’s Bix 7,<br />
California’s Wharf to Wharf Race<br />
notoriously over-the-top-costumes<br />
include superheroes, giant gorillas,<br />
and salmon that run “upstream” from<br />
the finish to the start.<br />
May 17, San Francisco, baytobreakers.com<br />
Boilermaker 15-K<br />
This upstate New York 15-K (about 9.3<br />
miles) has two maps on its Web site:<br />
one of its rolling course, and one of<br />
its enormous postrace party, which is<br />
open to the nearly 14,000 runners and<br />
their friends and family. Conditions<br />
can be steamy—humidity sometimes<br />
hovers near 100 percent—but finishers<br />
can cool off with popsicles, snow<br />
cones, and craft beer.<br />
July 12, Utica, New York, boilermaker.com<br />
Bix 7<br />
More than 20,000 runners converge<br />
upon eastern Iowa for this sevenmiler,<br />
which began in 1975 and honors<br />
jazz musician and Davenport native<br />
Bix Beiderbecke. The out-and-back<br />
course begins with a nearly mile-long<br />
hill, and midrace temps often climb,<br />
too (as high as 85 degrees). But runners<br />
can find relief at the turnaround,<br />
where one family traditionally sets up<br />
a giant Slip ’n’ Slide in their yard.<br />
July 25, Davenport, Iowa, bix7.com<br />
Wharf to Wharf Race<br />
Entrants in this point-to-point six-miler<br />
begin at the Santa Cruz Wharf and<br />
follow a mostly flat route along the<br />
rugged Pacific coastline to the Capitola<br />
Wharf. Along the way, the race’s<br />
16,000-plus runners pass the Giant<br />
Dipper roller coaster on the Santa<br />
Cruz boardwalk and surfers taking to<br />
the waves.<br />
July 26, Santa Cruz, California, wharftowharf.com<br />
Ohio State 4-Miler<br />
Spirited Buckeyes turn out to cheer as<br />
many as 12,000 runners as they tour<br />
the Ohio State University campus and<br />
finish on its stadium’s 50-yard line.<br />
In true collegiate fashion, there’s<br />
a postrace tailgate party outside the<br />
stadium, complete with free beer and<br />
the company of OSU cheerleaders and<br />
mascot Brutus Buckeye.<br />
September TBD, Columbus, Ohio, ohiostatefourmiler.com<br />
TOP TO BOTTOM: PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ALEC OZAWA/BANK OF AMERICA SHAMROCK SHUFFLE 8-K; VICTOR SAILER/PHOTORUN; ZUMA PRESS; MARATHONFOTO/COURTESY OF WHARF TO WHARF<br />
110<br />
FOR MORE WEIRD-DISTANCE RACE IDEAS, GO TO<br />
RUNNERSWORLD.COM/ODD-DISTANCES.
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