Hooray for Our Side

A few years ago a Chicago tabloid newspaper put my face on the front cover with the headline, “The Man Who Ruined Running.” I thought that was a rude way to treat a hometown kid like me, but, I guess it sold newspapers.

Underlying the headline was the contention that I had ruined running because I was encouraging folks of all ages, shapes, and abilities to find their joy and, in some cases hidden talent, by strapping on a pair of running shoes and taking up the sport. I encouraged everyone to challenge themselves to do more, to be more, but to ultimately be happy with their efforts.

My contention then, and now, is that the more people we can encourage to take up the activity of running the more people are going to be aware of and support the sport of running and the better it’s going to be for the entire running community; athletes, events, and corporations. And last Monday at the Boston Marathon I believe that MY prediction came true.

Amby Burfootot [my former boss at Runner's World] wrote:American marathon star Ryan Hall led through most of the first 10 miles, and eventually finished fourth in 2:03:58, five seconds behind third-place finisher Gebre Gebremariam, who won last fall’s New York City Marathon. Hall’s time is the fastest ever run by an American marathoner, eclipsing the former mark of Khalid Khannouchi, 2:05:38. Hall’s time will also get an asterisk in the books.

Yep. The FASTEST time EVER by an American marathoner. Asterisk or NO asterisk, a sub-2:04 marathon is FAST!

On the women’s side, Desiree Davila of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project NEARLY won. Susan Rinkunas wrote: Davila’s stellar race has multiple statistical implications. Davila is now the third fastest American in history. Her 2:22:38 is also the fastest time by an American in Boston, bettering by five seconds Joan Benoit Samuelson’s 1983 clocking, which was a world best at the time. And the Rochester Hills, Mich., athlete’s second-place finish made her the highest U.S. finisher since Kim Jones was the runner-up in 1993. Davila also continued her enviable streak of improving her marathon time in each outing. She lowered her personal best by 3:44 today.

Can we please stop talking about the death of American road running now. PLEASE. Josh Cox set the American record in the 50K in January. He’s an amazing athlete and wonderful human being. He’s also REALLY fast. Ryan is amazing, wonderful, and FAST. Desiree is too. And Kara Goucher who finished 5th at Boston barely six months after having a baby is poised to take on the world.

So to all the critics out there I say: “TAKE THAT!” The tens of thousands of us who are running and walking and walk/running and run/walking and paying our entry fees and filling up races are doing for the sport what no group has ever done before. We are making the pyramid taller so that those on the top can get higher.

Waddle on, John John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist Author, The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.

Have a question for John? Write him.