Run, Karla, Run!

Photo by Thomas R. Stegelmann/Flickr

With a record 140,000 applicants for 45,000 spots at the start, most runners who applied for the 2011 ING New York City Marathon lottery didn’t get in.

If you’re one of those runners, take heart. You can still nab one of those coveted spots by running for one of the race’s official charity partners.

Runners pledge to raise a required amount of money—usually $2,500 to $3,000—in exchange for a bib in the world’s largest marathon. Some charities also offer coaching, training programs and other perks for being one of their fundraisers. Read the rest of this entry →

Photo by Billy Alexander/SXC

You’ve got questions. The Running Nerd will find the answers.

Question:

I have a few friends who are not sure about whether or not they want to get involved in the races, but were wondering if they could just come out for some of the walk/runs and do it with the crowd without registering? Is that a possibility to potentially get them interested in signing up for the next one?

~Anonymous

Answer:

Well, running a race without registering for it is called running as a “bandit,” and the Running Nerd, along with race directors all over America, strongly discourages it. Why? Read the rest of this entry →

Want to learn more about the diversity of events, races and clubs offered for runners in the New York metropolitan area? Come on down to the JackRabbit NYC Running Show on Saturday, April 23 for a special NYC Running Scene panel presented by NYCRUNS.com and moderated by yours truly.

I’ll be leading a discussion with a collection truly knowledgeable local runners who will talk about the bounty of options New Yorkers have at their feet from Westchester down to Staten Island, including trail running, cross-country races and track events in addition to the many road races NYC offers. They’ll talk about the plethora of choices when it comes to running clubs, and they’ll field all of your burning questions. Read the rest of this entry →

With near perfect running conditions, the 2011 Boston Marathon on April 18 was one for the record books with a pair of spectacular finishes in the men’s and women’s races.

For the third year in a row, American Ryan Hall played rabbit for the elite men’s field, leading from the gun. While he ran a personal best time of 2:04:58–the fastest time ever run by an American–three men were faster. Read the rest of this entry →

“Wake up!” My lungs huffed with a familiar pinch twisting in my side.

“Wake up!” My calves tightened as I trudged up the hill.

“Wake up!” I pushed just a little harder to pick up the pace.

This was my self-imposed rude awakening. With just one week to go until my first race of the year, it was time to remind my body what real running feels like—and why I love it. Read the rest of this entry →