AORTA News: April 22nd, 2024
Volunteers Needed!
Curious about what goes on behind the scenes at local races? Here's your opportunity to find out! By volunteering, you'll be supporting a local organization and ensuring a enjoyable and fulfilling experience during these events. Surrounded by fellow fitness enthusiasts, you'll also play a key role in promoting fitness in the Auburn-Opelika community and contributing to local charities.
If you can spare a few hours of your time, we could use your assistance at any of the races listed on our SignUpGenius site.
Upcoming Local Race
May 25th: Down The Tracks 1M/5K
When: Saturday, May 25th, 2024
Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile) / 8:30 AM (5K)
Where: Courthouse Square, Opelika, AL
Distances: 1-Mle, 5K
Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
Description: Mark your calendars! This Memorial Day Weekend on May 25th, 2024, as we host our first annual 5k in the Courthouse Square in Historic Downtown Opelika. The race director and management team have deep ties in collegiate athletics, running and the veteran community. A former collegiate cross-country runner and United States Air Force Veteran are set to host the event. A portion of the proceeds for this event will go to Flags for Vets Inc., and the Auburn and Opelika Police & Fire Departments.
June 29th: Race for a Summer of Second Chances
When: Saturday, June 29th, 2024
Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile) / 8:30 AM (5K)
Where: CARE Humane Society, Auburn
Distances: 1-Mle, 5KFee: $20 (1-Mile), $30 (5K)
Description: Lace up your sneakers and join us for a cause that's close to our hearts! 🐾 We are thrilled to announce our Annual Race for a Summer of Second Chances benefiting CARE Humane Society™️! 🌟 Whether you're up for the challenge of a 5k or prefer a leisurely walk/run one mile, there's something for everyone!
Have Gently Worn Running Shoes?
Are your running shoes past their useful running life? Most are normally good for 300 to 500 miles but can still have a lot of “sole” left in them! If yours are ready for retirement, bring your gently used running shoes on the first Saturday of every month where we’ll collect them for a fantastic organization called “Sneakers4Good”, a social enterprise that ships them to developing nations for micro-entrepreneurs. In return, AORTA will be compensated based on the number of shoes sent.
When you bring them, please check for the following:
1) Gently worn means they are clean in usable condition and have no holes.
2) Soles are intact and not too worn, cracked, or breaking apart.
3) Laces intact, in good condition, not frayed, and tied together.
Weekly Whimsy
The Popularity of Marathons
Ashley Wu, The New York Times
Participation is up — as are finish times.
On a chilly day in April 1924 — the first year that the Boston Marathon was 26.2 miles, rather than the original 24.8 miles — around 140 men lined up in Hopkinton, Mass., to race. Yesterday, a century later in that same town, about 30,000 runners crossed the starting line.
Distance running, once a niche sport, has exploded in popularity over the past few decades. Many of those who run marathons today are middle-aged or older, and some are less fit and less experienced. As a result, the average finish time in American marathons has slowed considerably, even as the top runners keep getting faster. It’s a sign of how popular marathons have become.
The Boston Marathon is a special race. It is the oldest annual marathon in the world. And it requires most runners to submit a qualifying time to apply for entry, making for an especially fast field.
Even so, the trend of slower average finish times is apparent. The average finish time in Boston in 1924 was just under three hours. Yesterday, the average was nearly four hours.
Around the turn of the 20th century, when the first marathons were held, the races were thought to be safe only for young, fit men. Many even believed, incorrectly, that running would make women infertile or overly masculine. But as distance running gained popularity as a way to stay healthy — thanks, in part, to an American victory in the 1972 Olympics — more people wanted to compete. The Boston Marathon expanded to meet the demand, and new marathons like New York City’s and Chicago’s were established.
“It went from being something for fanatics to the everyman’s Everest,” said David Monti, a marathon specialist who runs a popular newsletter on distance running.
It’s not just Boston
Average times have risen at many of the biggest American marathons, most of which do not require runners to apply with a qualifying time like Boston does.
Major marathon organizers want large field sizes. For one, marathons are costly to host: Cities need to shut down streets, provide security and set up infrastructure along the course. Runners’ registration fees help to cover that cost. The more runners and spectators, especially those from out of town, the more money goes to local restaurants and hotels. And then there is the prestige of hosting a large public event.
“Those images of 50,000 people on the Verrazano Bridge — everybody wants that,” Monti said. “And you need a lot of people to do that.”
To recruit the crowds, many races are less strict about entrants’ credentials. That’s what drew Andy Sloan, 36, to register for his first marathon, in Honolulu last year. He was the final racer across the line, completing the course in 16 hours 59 minutes 39 seconds.
When Sloan first started training, he thought running a marathon was going to be about hitting a goal time. But in Honolulu, he found more meaning in the people cheering him along.
“To feel supported the whole way, even though I was the last person on the course, felt really, really good,” he told me. “Knowing that I took the time to set a goal, and worked really hard to achieve it, it did mean a lot to me.”
Winners are still fast
Averages may be slowing down, but marathon winners are not. Boston’s course records for both men and women have been set in the last 15 years.
And world records are still being broken on American marathon courses. Last year, Kelvin Kiptum broke the world marathon record at the Chicago Marathon. His time was 2 hours 35 seconds.
The last person to cross the finish line in Chicago that day had a time of 9 hours 41 minutes 14 seconds. Most people will never play soccer with Lionel Messi or tennis with Coco Gauff. But in a marathon, everyone runs the same course, on the same day.
Link to New York TImes article
Quote of the Week
Run.bunc.tious
Adjective:
Uncontrollably exuberant;
boisterous about running.
Video of the Week
KEEP ON RUNNING: Marathon Motivation (4:35)
In this inspiring short film, a person reflects on the difficult challenges they've faced in life and how they found healing through running. Through the pain of failed relationships, a lost career, and the passing of loved ones, they discovered the resilience and strength to keep pushing forward. Join them as they prepare for their first marathon, overcoming their physical and emotional limitations, and discovering the true purpose of their running journey. Witness the power of endurance, the beauty of life, and the importance of self-belief. Keep on running and find your own purpose.
** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process, or service.
Ongoing Events
RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!
RunGo provides turn-by-turn navigation allowing you to just enjoy your runs without having to think about looking for street names and when you may have to turn next. Other great features include, audio cues with your running stats, split updates, the ability to share your runs via social media, and create new routes. Another great feature of the app is the ability to work offline. You can create and download your routes ahead of time, before your run so you don’t have to use data during your run.
Race Volunteers Needed!
As a runner, we know your time is valuable. But if you have a couple hours to spare, we could use your help for one of the upcoming AORTA supported or directed races! Assisting at a local race is a fun and rewarding experience. You are surrounded by health conscious individuals that, like you, are motivated fitness enthusiasts and appreciate the effort of volunteers.
Water Stop Volunteers Needed
Water stop signs and coolers are available at the following location: 1536 Professional Parkway, Auburn, AL. (Thank you Adahli Massey!). Coolers and signs can be picked up Monday-Thursday from 8AM-4PM and on Fridays from 8AM-12 noon. Items are in the room next to the back door. If you are unable to pick up supplies on these dates/times, e-mail clemster@aol.com to make alternative arrangements (we deliver!).
Forward any comments to the webmaster.