Americans are lacing up athletic shoes and signing up to run in 5Ks, 10-milers and even marathons in record numbers.
In a country often lampooned as populated with obese soda-swilling TV junkies, about 9.2 million people completed a certified foot race in the US last year, up from 3.7 million in 1987.
Of those, 425,000 completed a marathon — 42.2km — and 715,000 ran a half-marathon, said Running USA, a non-profit group that promotes running. That’s up from 143,000 marathon runners in 1980.
The numbers are expected to be even higher this year, said Ryan Lamppa with Running USA.
“There is still a pent-up demand for races in the country,” Lamppa said.
Marathons across the country are filling up so quickly that race organizers are adding half-marathons (21km) along with shorter races on event day, Lamppa said.
About 40,000 people ran the New York marathon early this month. In late October about 32,000 people ran the Marine Corps marathon in Washington, and about 45,000 ran earlier in Chicago.
In Atlanta, 55,000 people signed up for the marathon next Thursday — the bulk of the tickets sold online in seven hours — and approximately 45,000 are expected at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend on Jan. 10 in Florida.
Why the growth? Running is the cheapest, fastest way to lose weight, and along with walking, the easiest way to exercise. But that’s only part of the answer.
We live in a financially uncertain, violence-scarred world, and running “gives you something to control — you can’t control the stock market or the economy, but you can control your health,” Lamppa said.
Michael Giordana, a sports sociologist at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, believes there are three aspects fueling the running boom: People inspired by the Olympics last year, increased social networking — for example runners opening Facebook pages to collect money for charity — and a reaction to what he called “the obesity epidemic.”
The US Centers for Disease Control says about one-third of US adults are obese, while another third are overweight.
As more people run and enjoy the experience, word-of-mouth attracts new runners.
“The stories that come out motivate people to get off the couch and be more active,” Giordana said.
Race days have also become city-wide carnivals, complete with live music, free food, street vendors, and crowds cheering on the athletes.
Big sponsors have jumped into the act. While schools and local stores focus on neighborhood 5K (5km) runs, marquee names like Bank of America, ING, McDonalds and Continental Airlines have sponsored major races this year.
Training is also widely available, Giordana said.
Aside from scores of books on running, there are software programs and training programs held at health clubs, some catering to specific interests like religion or single runners looking for a partner.
Need in-person support? Bridget Bowers heads a training program run by Pacers, a northern Virginia running shoe chain store.
“It’s a very social thing to do,” Bowers said.
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