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Dear Hurt Knee Runner Guy,
I am hoping that you wrote this article with a confrontational, inflammatory spin for the increased attention it would get, both from Salon and readers (behold... a letter!). I say this because you can't seriously believe that greater public interest in distance running is a bad thing, can you? In the face of the growing epidemic of obesity? In the face of more and more ways for completely sessile people to occupy all of their time? I am thrilled that lots more people are running, wobbling, even staggering their way through marathons, or any distance for that matter.
In each to the 10 marathons I have run, the start of the race parses people into corrals by approximate time, so there is no hindrance to the progress of the faster runners by the presence of the slow ones. The result of more people are all positive: better support and facilities, more public awareness, and a greater sense of possibilities distinct from the sessile life we are tempted to lead.
As for Chicago, even a cursory exploration a bit deeper than Fox News will reveal that it wasn't the large number of non-elite runners that cause that debacle, but the incredibly poor performance of the organizers. The San Diego Rock 'n' Roll marathon has had 80 degree weather and tons of newbies, with no mishap. The difference? Water, support, organization. The reason that the blame was shifted to the scads of neophites was a simple political one. Public awareness of the true cause of that disaster would lessen the chances for Chicago to host the Olympics, and so they chose the expedient, if inaccurate, spin of blaming the large number of less-experienced participants.
Finally, I think it is flawed thinking to implicate the growing number of Galloway-type marathoners on the USA's failure to keep up with world standards in distance running. It is not the large number of slower runners keeping talented young athletes away from committing to marathoning. It is the alternate incentives embodied in Tiger Woods, A-Rod, and massive Nike endorsements. Although you have an admirable asceticism in your desire to wear old cotton and floppy socks, most young people would be more interested in 100 million dollars contracts and colorful logo-laden outfits in the pursuit of the excellence their talents can yield.
So good luck in your resumption of the marathon. But please don't blame the people who are not as good as you for the failures of the people who are better.
