Runners, On Your Mark!
The races are beginning to happen! For five months most everything has been virtual, but intrepid clubs and race directors are taking the plunge. The reason this can happen is enough is known about how Covid-19 spreads and what can be done to avoid that while holding a race. The list of precautions and requirements is long and things previously taken for granted, such as water stops, post-race food and awards ceremonies are off the table. Start times are staggered and a limited number of runners allowed in a wave. Not perfect for sure, but progress, nonetheless. One novel approach is a marathon I am helping with on a rail trail in Northern Vermont this Sunday. It was organized by 62-year old Jim Miller, who has run a sub 3:00 marathon in each of the past five decades, starting in the late 1970s when ran his first sub-3:00 as an 18 year-old. He’s shooting for six decades, which would put him in select company: only three others in the U.S. have accomplished this. To be clear, over the years Jim’s bar has been much faster than three hours. He has run sub-2:20 marathons, participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials and … Continue reading