Are slow runners contaminating marathon prestige?

ABOVE: The men's winner Meb Keflizghi, of USA, second from left, and second place finisher Robert Cheruiyot, of Kenya, center, pass about the halfway point over the Pulaski Bridge from Brooklyn to the Queens borough of New York on his to winning the New York City marathon Sunday Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

In light of last weekend's New York City Marathon, a number of articles have been written about the changes in the sport of long-distance running over the years.

Marathon running was once a sport for the fitness elite; the kind of people with garages full of sporting equipment who are in a perpetual state of "carbo-loading" for their next excruciating workout. But now some claim that the "anybody can run a marathon" attitude has softened the admiration and prestige that hardcore marathoners used to enjoy.

The number of people running marathons "just to finish" has exploded over the past few years. High profile runners like Oprah and P. Diddy initially helped to inspire widespread interest in the 26.2 mile race. Many also credit the "fitness movement" as adding to the number of laggards entering road races.

As the number of slow-pokes grows, the number of people running marathons "to compete" has remained relatively stagnant. As a result, the average time it takes a racer to complete a marathon in the United States is getting longer and longer.

“It’s a joke to run a marathon by walking every other mile or by finishing in six, seven, eight hours,”  Adrienne Wald, 54, the women’s cross-country coach at the College of New Rochelle, told The New York Times.   “It used to be that running a marathon was worth something — there used to be a pride saying that you ran a marathon, but not anymore. Now it’s, ‘How low is the bar?’ ”

Pamela LeBlanc, a fitness blogger in Austin, Texas thinks competative marathon runners "should just get over it." After all, she points out, the registration fee's that slower runners pay help to keep the sport alive.

Overall, I think more participation in marathons is awesome. Whether you finish in 2.5 hours or 6, it is still a physical accomplishment to be proud of. However, maybe more marathons should cut the field into two groups: the competitive runners and the "just for fun" runners. That way, the racers feel like they are part of something serious and elite while the slower runners can enjoy their race side-by-side with people who share the same goals.

What do you think?

Suggested Reading:
NYT: Plodders have a place, but is it in a marathon?
Fit City: Are slow pokes ruining marathons?
Creative Loafing: Anyone can run a marathon (Oprah and P. Diddy did it – so can you!)

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