I believe that your negative attitude is part of what makes this a country of obese, out of shape people. Every form of physical exercise can be made a "sport", and usually is. Yet everyone needs and deserves to exercise. It is none of your business is people who have less running talent than your own (which is nothing special, I might add), choose the potentially healthy challenge of any length of marathon. Running and walking are universal means of human locomotion.

It is also a bizarre logical fallacy to suggest that non-competitive runners somehow impact on the accomplishments of competitive runners. Do playground basketball games "ruin" professional basketball? And also that you seem to endorse pushing to injury even when a major competition is not at stake.

You are essentially saying that people should not train with running unless they meet some arbitrary performance level, which you have somehow set. Or to put it another way, bothering to insult the achievements of others, even if it means cheapening your own achievement.

How ironic, as well, that you choose the example of Oprah for a rather callous and sexist insult, a woman who came quite close to matching your men's time. And I'm sure you ran yours younger, too.

In the end, in your bitterness, it is yourself you belittle. You reduce your own accomplishment from an impressive display of fitness and resolve, to a failed attempt to meet a standard you were genetically inadequate for. That is your choice, I suppose. I make a different choice.

So, according to you, a marathon is both a grueling, serious sport requiring the deepest commitment (which validates you) and an event anyone who just rolled out of bed can finish (which diminishes your "competitors"). Which is it?

Like it or not, unless you're winning marathons on a consistent basis, or are getting paid for your efforts, you and all those reformed couch potatoes belong to the same club: a recreational one. We may agree on the health risks posed to the inexperienced runner, but it doesn't change the fact that most competitors run for the personal satisfaction. If that goal is a legitimate one for you, then it is for them, and you should mind your own business.

You're deriving the same sense of satisfaction from the experience that they do. There is no other reason you'd put them down than to validate yourself. That says a whole lot more about your insecurities than their discipline and commitment. If you're as good as you imply you are, then dusting these cats and kittens should only affirm the commitment, ability and drive for which you congratulate yourself.

Do you. Leave everyone else to their own devices. Let the results speak for themselves. That's the American way, champ.

Say, isn't it time to update this column with news about how Oprah has ruined girls' education in Africa?

"There will always be a group of quasi-elite anything who resent total hacks, precisely because hacks show the inanity of the whole enterprise."

I love this line, in my more pessimistic moments applied to just about any human endeavor you can name.

I ran a 1:20:34 for a half marathon once and was extremely upset because my goal was to break a P.R. of 1:15. About 3hrs later just when I had almost calmed down, two overwieght women walked across the finish line. One of them was on a cell phone telling some loved one that "Yes honey I did it, I just ran a half marathon!!" I really felt like saying something because I really dont think that woman could run over a mile with out stopping. Maybe I should just give her credit for being there and not at home on the couch. I guess what I'm getting at is she did'nt "Run" a half marathon so she should'nt say she did. Just like Mr. Bingham should'nt make comments like he could run under 4hrs but why put yourself through that? Spoken like a true coward or at the least someone who cant do it! I can and have 2:46:54, and it wasnt easy. Maybe if some of the "Joggers" or Mr. Bingham could feel what I felt when I looked up and saw a sub 3hr. time on the clock they might test themself sometime on a training run or in a race? I cant understand how you can get any satisfaction out of just finishing? At the end of the day are you just as happy to have made it through another day, or do you try to live EVERY day to it's fullest? Even if it's just a 5k...........

I ran a 1:20:34 for a half marathon once and was extremely upset because my goal was to break a P.R. of 1:15. About 3hrs later just when I had almost calmed down, two overwieght women walked across the finish line. One of them was on a cell phone telling some loved one that "Yes honey I did it, I just ran a half marathon!!" I really felt like saying something because I really dont think that woman could run over a mile with out stopping. Maybe I should just give her credit for being there and not at home on the couch. I guess what I'm getting at is she did'nt "Run" a half marathon so she should'nt say she did. Just like Mr. Bingham should'nt make comments like he could run under 4hrs but why put yourself through that? Spoken like a true coward or at the least someone who cant do it! I can and have 2:46:54, and it wasnt easy. Maybe if some of the "Joggers" or Mr. Bingham could feel what I felt when I looked up and saw a sub 3hr. time on the clock they might test themself sometime on a training run or in a race? I cant understand how you can get any satisfaction out of just finishing? At the end of the day are you just as happy to have made it through another day, or do you try to live EVERY day to it's fullest? Even if it's just a 5k...........