World Marathon Guide

Dateline: 10/05/98

Want to plot your marathon strategy - find the perfect 42K anywhere in the world?   Is your idea of a vacation walking for a medal?  At the packet pick-up for the Portland Marathon and Mayor's Walk, I bought a copy of the "World Marathon Guide" book plus the premiere issue of World Marathon Report (Fall, 1998).  The book and magazine are produced by Marathon Sports Marketing, Inc.

The Second Edition of the World Marathon Guide is now available for pre-order while the First Edition (published in 1998) is being discounted. 

Finding Walker-Friendly Marathons
The first edition of the "World Marathon Guide" has information on 400 marathons around the world. Typical information includes the date and time of day each race starts, whether walkers or wheelchairs are allowed, length of time allowed, contact information (including e-mail and Internet address), hotels near the finish line (with contact numbers), average temperatures, course records, defending champions, entry fees, course description, awards and local attractions.  I added the walker-friendly marathons to the Marathons and Ultras Net Links.  The second edition promises 600+ marathons.  The marathons range from monsters with 10,000 participants to hometown marathons that attract fewer than 100.   I found several web site listings in the book to have been eaten by the Internet monster, outdated, or had spelling problems - all of the usual problem associated with keeping up a list of web sites.  Luckily, with the book you also get email addresses, phone, fax, and addresses to contact the event hosts.

What Makes a Walker Friendly Marathon?
1.  Each event lists whether walkers or wheelchairs are allowed.  Some elite events have required qualification times or qualification events, which may preclude any but fast racewalkers.
2.  Most events list the time the course closes.  If that time means that the finish line packs up and leaves, you could be finishing all alone.  A standard time is 5 hours, which is difficult to achieve without racewalking technique, requiring 11.5 minute miles or faster throughout.  Look for events that stay open for 6 - 8 hours or more.
3.  Some events open up the course to auto traffic after a certain period and ask the slower runners/walkers to use the sidewalks and obey crossing signals.  While not ideal, this does allow walkers to walk at their own pace.
4.  Some events list that they will keep the finish open until everyone - walker or runner, is off the course.  But you may be walking the last several miles without any water stops, so ask in advance and carry your own if needed.

Other Good Stuff to Know
The book also has articles on how to train for a marathon, shoe reviews, hydration, nutrition, blister care and marathon reviews - including the Portland Marathon.

World Marathon Report Magazine - Premier Edition
The companion magazine in its premier issue is heavy on race results of marathons from around the world, interspersed with feature articles on Women's Marathoning, Heel Pain, Nutrition, product reviews and news.  It will be published three times per year.

Portland Marathon Review
OK, so I'm a chicken.  I only did the Portland Mayor's Walk 10K.  I went out fast, racewalking, and was only passed by two other racewalkers and four joggers.  I also was passed by the marathoners - first the wheelchair participants, then top man Lucas Matlala of Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa with a 2:26:12 time, and top woman Kari McKay of Spokane, Washington with a 2:45:55 time.  I shook hands with Mayor Vera Katz at the finish line, collected my ribbon and cookies and changed my sweaty clothes to staff the volkssport finish line for the marathon. 

The weather was perfect - cool and cloudy in the morning breaking out to mostly sunny and still cool in the afternoon.  There were 4167 marathon runners and another couple of thousand marathon walkers.  My walking friends Betty and Donna did the full marathon, their first, in 7:31.  My club VP Joe did it in 5:37.  As they passed the finish, they said this was easier than the 15-mile Rose City Relay which had convinced me I shouldn't do more than 15 miles.  Certainly it has fewer hills and more water stops.   Portland is a truly walker-friendly marathon, this year they kept the roads closed for a full eight hours to accommodate the walkers.  Oprah Winfrey was scheduled to participate but couldn't make it, but her trainer and walking team came.

Portland keeps the event friendly for all by putting the walkers, runners, and Mayor's Walk folks all on the same course.  No second-class citizenship for walkers.   There is also a 2-Mile Marafun for kids, a judged racewalk, a 24 Hour Megan's Run track ultra for charity, and a 5-Mile Run.  Each year the Portland Marathon strives to appeal to the grassroots and include more folks.  I countered the spectators who applauded runners but not walkers by applauding the walking finishers at the finish line.

The finishers made me jealous with their gorgeous medals.  We had 97 register for volkssport credit out of the hundreds of marathon walkers.   Who knows, maybe I'll be on the other side of the finish table in 1999?   My fellow Tough Trail Tromper club members did a good sales job on the other walkers in drumming up interest in our 18 Hour Walk in May as well as the Vancouver Discovery Walk Festival in April.

Update: Wendy Walks the Portland Marathon 1999 including preparation tips.