Category Archives: Marathon

Boston, be my shining star

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Jon Waldron

Some things should be obvious. It should be obvious that the Boston Marathon is not like London or Berlin or Chicago. It should be understood that, above all, the Boston Marathon is a competition, not a time trial, a test … Continue reading →

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Another few words about Boston

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Jon Waldron

I hadn’t intended to write anything about the Boston Marathon this year. I found it hard to escape the feeling that everything had already been written, and by people much more dedicated and knowledgable than me. Since I had nothing … Continue reading →

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From the Archives: Snow on 4/1 Bodes Ill for Marathoners

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Jon Waldron

Anyone who thought winter was done with us must have been surprised by the snowstorm that hit Boston on Saturday. Although in the end it didn’t leave much snow, it reminded many of the massive snow storm that hit the … Continue reading →

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Remembering Ed Whitlock

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Jon Waldron

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nPBIV_9CG8 “Where have all the heroes gone? They’ve gone with the simplicities and the pieties and the easy answers of another era. But that may not be all bad … not if our lack of such easy heroes can be … Continue reading →

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Japan Journal: Race Day

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Jon Waldron

Ojiyama Stadium, Otsu, Japan — Start of the Biwako Mainichi Marathon — March 5, 2017 In the audio, you can hear me say that 77 seconds (for the first 400) is “2:12:30 pace…” It is actually about 2:14:30 pace. This miscalculation had … Continue reading →

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Japan Journal: Final Preparations

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Jon Waldron

Elite athlete interviews prior to Saturday’s technical meeting for foreign athletes I suspect that some of my readers — those who have patiently endured my travelogue so far — have not been distracted, nor have they forgotten that the reason I … Continue reading →

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Breaking Down Breaking2

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Jon Waldron

What’s all this silliness about a sub-two-hour marathon?

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Are Marathons Stupid?

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Jon Waldron

(Image from fivethirtyeight.com) I’m usually psyched to see a running-related piece show up on a mainstream news and opinion site. It provides a temporary reprieve for the feeling that I’m a lunatic engaged in a fringe activity. Also, occasionally the … Continue reading →

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Tilting at the Two-Hour Windmill

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Jon Waldron

“In some ways, a goal of two hours is as arbitrary as the distance of the marathon itself: 26 miles 385 yards, established at the 1908 London Olympics, in part to accommodate viewing by the British royal family. But round … Continue reading →

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Hopeless Love

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Jon Waldron

These days, we no longer puzzle over the question of why runners run. That used to seem like an important philosophical question, but nowadays we’re awash in evidence that regular exercise keeps us healthy in mind and body, and that … Continue reading →

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