The following books are reviewed:
- The Ultimate Guide to Marathons
- Marathon & Beyond
It is just what you have been waiting for. "The Ultimate Guide to Marathons" by Dennis Craythorn and Rich Hanna. It is a high quality paperback hot off the press and contains up-to-date information on 180 marathons in North America. There are from 2 to 4 pages devoted to each of the "Top 100 Destination Marathons" (including some great pictures) and a half-page each for 80 "Local Marathons". Each of the Top 100 marathons is numerically rated according to 5 criteria: Course Beauty, Course Difficulty, Appropriateness for first timers, Race Organization, and Crowds. There is complete information concerning race dates in 1997 and 1998, contact information, numbers of participants, age groups, temperatures, and aid/split time information. Course description is often quite detailed. In addition there is information about accomodations, area attractions and local running stores. Everything that you might want to know as a runner has been covered. The Ultimate Guide to Marathons
After adding up the points for each of the evaluation criteria, the marathons are ranked in order. I'll list only the top 15: Big Sur, Twin Cities, Marine Corps, New York City, Honolulu, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Walt Disney World, Maui, Los Angeles, Vancouver International, Humboldt Redwoods, Vermont City, and St. George. I've only run 6 of these, and most of the others are on my wish list. Marathons are also tabulated by other criteria: "The Raving Beauties" (most scenic marathons), "Get Outta Town", "In My Own Backyard", "Looking for a Fast Time?", "Easy Riders" (easiest courses), "What Was I Thinking? (most difficult marathons)", "Screemin' Meemies" (marathons with best crowd support), "Virgin Voyages" (top marathons for first timers), "The Well-Oiled Machines" (best organized marathons), "The Road Less Traveled" (best small marathons).
Want more? There are elevation profiles for 43 of the courses. Normally I don't read the introduction/acknowledgments, but in this case I am pleased that I did. I recall, over a year ago, filling out a form concerning my impressions of various courses I had run. The authors must have read these forms, since David Greenberg and I were singled out for acknowledgment.
The book is published by Marathon Publishers, Inc., P. O. Box 19027, Sacramento, California, 95819, and sells for $19.95. This is an indispensable guide; something that should be on the bedside table of anyone planning to run a marathon.
Marathon & Beyond
There is a new periodical for marathoners and ultramarathoners. It is dedicated to providing practical advice on running or preparing to run marathons and ultradistances. Edited by former Runner's World Executive Editor Richard Benyo, "Marathon & Beyond" issued volume 1 #1 this January and will be published bimonthly. This first issue is 116 pages and looks like a 6 x 9 inch paperback. "Marathon & Beyond" won't publish race results, or review clothing, shoes or equipment. A quick synopsis of its first issue will give an idea of what its mission is all about.
Kathrine Switzer, of Boston Marathon fame, gives us a journal of her reflections while "On the Road" from race to race. She shares her thoughts on the promotion of running, and on the running of Tegla Loroupe.
Editor Richard Benyo writes about how the 1896 Olympic games came into being. Instead of a dull history, his article is packed with interesting stories of how the American team was "selected", and how the Greek people generously cheered all competitors. Many countries did not send their best athletes, or participate at all. I was surprized to learn that the Italians had many fine runners at the 50K distance, but didn't send them to compete in the marathon at the 1896 games.
Joe Oakes discusses the technique of walking during marathons and ultramarathons. It didn't begin or end with Jeff Galloway's popularization. He quotes Joe Henderson that "the walking break is the most significant development in the 1990s marathon boom". For those who want to try it, there is a table of various ratios of time running to time walking and the average pace that they will yield.
The plusses and minuses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are dealt with by Dr. Robert Johnson. He sees them as effective pain relievers but poor as anti-inflammatory drugs for athletic injuries, and cautions their use due to side effects.
Timothy Martin gives a humorous account of his training adventures with a MAU (Marathons And Up) group. He quotes one of the MAU runners: "With most people, running is peripheral to life....It should be the other way around. All life should hang on running --- especially on ultrarunning."
Masters runner John Keston, who didn't begin running until age 55, tells about his "Most Unforgettable Marathon", the world's first age-graded marathon in Valencia, Spain. John was invited to participate based on running a 2:58:33 marathon just prior to his 70th birthday, which made him the oldest runner ever to break 3 hours. I won't tell you the details, but John reported that the temperature in Valencia rose 32 degrees during his time on the course.
This first issue of "Marathon & Beyond" begins the first of a six-part history of "The Great Six-Day Races". There was an endurance walking craze in the US during the late 1800's. Athletes, called "pedestrians", would compete on indoor tracks, walking 100 miles in less than 24 hours, or walking 500 miles in 6 days. This first installment chronicles the career of two such walkers and gives a flavor of the times.
I was particularly pleased to see an extensive article on the Vancouver International Marathon, especially since I have registered to run it this May 4th. There is a review of its history, and considerable information of interest about Vancouver. I can hardly wait.
You can subscribe to "Marathon & Beyond" for $29.95 per year from Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc., 1607 North Market St, Champaign, IL 61820-2200. You can call 1-800-747-4457. Additional information is available from the website http://www.humankinetics.com. If I read the subscription information correctly, the publication is free for students.