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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If you<br />
/ PREFER TO RUN WITH A CROWD /<br />
sign up for<br />
New York<br />
City<br />
Marathon<br />
November 1<br />
New York City<br />
50,546 marathoners<br />
tcsnycmarathon.org<br />
Rolling, Urban,<br />
Point-to-Point Course<br />
The New York City Marathon is<br />
the largest in the world. If you<br />
get in (the lottery is open January<br />
15 to February 15), you’ll<br />
run through all five of the city’s<br />
boroughs, starting on Staten<br />
Island and ending in Manhattan’s<br />
Central Park, to the tune<br />
of more than a million spectators.<br />
Rejected More than 7,000<br />
charity bibs are available.<br />
GOOD TO KNOW The average<br />
wait at the Staten Island start<br />
village is two hours and 15 minutes.<br />
Bring warm clothes, food,<br />
and something dry to sit on.<br />
RACE-DIRECTOR TIP The longest<br />
hill is the first mile, over<br />
the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge,<br />
says Mary Wittenberg, president<br />
and CEO of the New York<br />
Road <strong>Runners</strong>. Save energy, she<br />
says. You’ll need it for mile 23, a<br />
gradual uphill and “the toughest<br />
mile on the course.”<br />
BEEN THERE, RUN THAT There's<br />
huge crowd support as you exit<br />
the Queensboro Bridge onto<br />
First Avenue at mile 16, says<br />
Abby Lombardi, who ran the<br />
race in 2013 and 2014. Enjoy it,<br />
but resist the urge to speed up.<br />
SECURE YOUR<br />
SPOT<br />
Popular races are<br />
challenging just<br />
to get into.<br />
CHICAGO<br />
MARATHON<br />
OCTOBER 11<br />
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS<br />
CHICAGOMARATHON.COM<br />
For last year’s<br />
race, the lottery<br />
opened in early<br />
March and closed<br />
after about a<br />
month. Lottery<br />
entrants who had<br />
met qualifying<br />
standards within<br />
the previous two<br />
years—a 3:15<br />
marathon for men<br />
and a 3:45 for<br />
women, regardless<br />
of age—were<br />
guaranteed entry.<br />
MARINE CORPS<br />
MARATHON<br />
OCTOBER 25<br />
WASHINGTON, D.C.<br />
MARINEMARATHON.COM<br />
<strong>Runners</strong> who complete<br />
the Marine<br />
Corps 17.75-K on<br />
March 28 receive<br />
guaranteed entry,<br />
but that race is expected<br />
to sell out<br />
in minutes when<br />
it opens on March<br />
11. (For more info,<br />
see “Branch Out,”<br />
page 109.) Everyone<br />
else must<br />
enter the lottery,<br />
which opens<br />
March 13.<br />
WALT DISNEY<br />
WORLD<br />
MARATHON<br />
JANUARY 10, 2016<br />
ORLANDO, FLORIDA<br />
RUNDISNEY.COM<br />
Race to your<br />
computer when<br />
registration<br />
opens on April<br />
28—this year’s<br />
event sold out<br />
in three weeks,<br />
and the system<br />
is first-come,<br />
first-entered.<br />
ALL THESE RACES<br />
OFFER BIBS THROUGH<br />
CHARITY PARTNERS—<br />
VISIT THEIR WEB SITES<br />
FOR DETAILS.<br />
<strong>Runners</strong> begin their point-to-point tour of Sacramento<br />
near the Folsom Dam and finish in front of the state<br />
capitol building. While the course is net downhill and<br />
known for its speed, it’s no pancake—rolling hills carry<br />
you through the first 18 miles before tapering out, says<br />
race director Eli Asch. The event sells out each year, but<br />
organizers save spots for runners who’ve come within<br />
five minutes of their Boston Marathon qualifying standard—they<br />
can register as late as October 15.<br />
GOOD TO KNOW The race has had different finishing<br />
chutes for men and women—so the first female wouldn't<br />
have to dodge men—since it began in 1983. The 19 pace<br />
groups start at 2:18 (the men’s Olympic Trials “B” qualifying<br />
standard), 2:43 (the women’s Olympic Trials “B”<br />
qualifying standard), and 3:00, then are spaced to match<br />
Boston qualifying times (in five- to 15-minute increments<br />
between 3:05 and 5:25).<br />
RACE-DIRECTOR TIP Though it’s not required, you should<br />
take the free shuttles the race offers to the start, says<br />
Asch. The school buses depart from seven locations (all<br />
near clusters of hotels), and runners can stay on board<br />
until up to 10 minutes before the gun. While race-morning<br />
temperatures are usually in the 40s, they were below<br />
freezing in 2013, and the runners on the heated buses<br />
were much happier than those outside them.<br />
BEEN THERE, RUN THAT Janet Smith of San Jose, who<br />
has run the race six times, recommends watching for<br />
two tricky spots: First is a “sharp turn around mile 10<br />
while running downhill, followed by a relatively long<br />
uphill,” she says. And while the second half of the race<br />
is fairly flat, you’ll climb at mile 22, when you reach the<br />
overpass spanning the American River.<br />
The course loses<br />
340 feet of elevation<br />
from start to capitalcity<br />
finish—perfect<br />
for PR-seekers.<br />
If you<br />
/ WANT TO NAIL A TIME GOAL /<br />
sign up for<br />
CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL<br />
MARATHON<br />
December 6 / Sacramento, California<br />
6,238 marathoners / runcim.org<br />
Downhill, Suburban/Urban,<br />
Point-to-Point Course<br />
PHOTOGRAPHS (TOP TO BOTTOM): LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS/CORBIS; BRIAN BAER/SACRAMENTO BEE/ZUMA PRESS, GETTY IMAGES (SACRAMENTO CAPITOL)<br />
92 RUNNER’S WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
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