Today's article of the day: A nice little bit from Running Times* about the rise of small races (as in races capped at 300 or so registrants and marketed as alternatives to 10,000+ entrant "mega-marathons").
Best take-away stat: Nearly 20 times as many Americans finished a marathon in 2012 as in 1976--25,000 vs. 487,000. Chicago alone had over 37,000 finishers last year, 12,000 more than what the entire country had in 1976.
Best quote: "[My races are] for those of you who don't want to run with 40,000 of your closest friends . . . There's a time and place for a big race, and there's a time and a place to be with yourself and just run," says "Fat Pat" McCloskey, a Pennsylvania race director who markets his events as alternatives to crowded Philadelphia races. His "spring 10-miler," billed as an alternative to the Philadelphia Broad Street 10-Mile Run, had 180 finishers in its first year.
*Note: This article appeared in RT, but the site will indicate runnersworld.com; both publications are produced by Rodale, Inc.
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