Running Shorts

Whenever I tell someone I'm running a half marathon this spring, the response is almost always, "Oh, are you running the Pig?" When I tell them no, I'm actually going to Pittsburgh and doing their half marathon, the next question, invariably, is, "Well why aren't you doing the Pig?" I've explained what Pittsburgh has to offer in my previous post , but I haven't explained what the Flying Pig doesn't have to offer. So here's why not the Pig: But first, let me say this: I want to like the Pig; I really do. Even though I give the race a hard time in this blog, I only do so because I'm passionate about wanting to see it succeed as a race. After all, it is the biggest and most prestigious running event in Cincinnati, and people in the city (beyond just the running community) really care about the event and those participating. I do want to run events that people in my community care about; however, I also want to run events that ma...

So what race am I doing? The UPMC Pittsburgh Half Marathon . When is that? Sunday, May 4th, 2014. Isn't that the same day as the Flying Pig? Yup. So why are you going to Pittsburgh when you could just run at home? Pittsburgh has this  and this . The Pig has neither. Pittsburgh has a commitment to elite and sub-elite runners, they have a commitment to growing the sport from the front, they have a commitment to hosting a highly competitive race. The Pig, as of now, does not. They're comp'ing my entry fee and putting me up in a hotel (with another runner)...while also hosting a race that should have a ton of competition around me with the potential to win prize money by placing high or running a time bonus. Who can turn that down? But seriously, why aren't you doing the Pig? It's your hometown race...  Well, that's a topic for the next post. But for quick reference, see above. So, let's toast with a glass of Yuengling and hope for a fast rac...

So I never actually posted much of a response to the 2013 Boston Marathon, even though I participated in one of the most infamous sports events in recent memory. I'm not really a big fan of rushing to judgment or making quick emotional responses, and in the immediate aftermath of the race every response was bound to be emotional. One year is plenty of time removed from the race, time to gain some perspective on the race itself and aftermath of the race. What are some of the take-aways from the event? 1. Finishing time from last year is irrelevant. After everything that went down, one's finishing time seems wildly insignificant. It just goes to show that there are more important things in the real world than athletic competition. 2a. Boston (and the country, to an extent) rallied around the sports community. We really saw the escapist and healing power of sports. If you've ever wondering why we partake in athletics, we learned why: they put our best qualities on displa...

(...besides growing a "boring" sport into a popular mass media spectacle.) In a word: Sponsorship. Just watching the Masters, I couldn't help but notice how many golfers had multiple sponsors on their kits. Obviously, most have a club sponsor (this would be the equivalent of a runner having a shoe sponsor) that also provides a uniform. But then many more had other corporate sponsors as well...some related to the golfing industry, others not so much. Check it out with Adam Scott, pictured below: Adam Scott, photo from google images. Just in this picture, you can see four sponsors: Titleist (that'd be the club sponsor) and Footjoy (a golfing shoe), shown on his hat. And then Mercedes-Benz and Uniqlo (clothing) on his shirt. Nascar is the same, except even more ridiculous. Compare that to Nick Symmonds: Nick Symmonds, outspoken critic of sponsor regulations. In terms of visible sponsors, he has a grand total of...one. Brooks running shoes . That...