My fellow runner, Nikki, passed along the following from http://www.marathonguide.com yesterday - a 2005 statistical recap. I found this table, which details the number of marathon finishers over this decade to date, to be interesting:
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Finishers | 299,000 | 295,000 | 324,000 | 334,000 | 362,000 | 382,000 |
| Percent Male | 62.5% | 62.1% | 61.5% | 60.9% | 60.5% | 60.0% |
| Percent Female | 37.5% | 37.9% | 38.5% | 39.1% | 39.5% | 40.0% |
It seems that finishing a marathon is on many “to do” lists these days. Marathons used to be for running enthusiasts, but now, I am pleased to see, more people use the marathon as that ultimate fitness goal. It is the driving force that propels people through various obstacles in their lives - the struggle for weight loss, the death of a loved one (Team in Training comes to mind here), or just to feel that sense of accomplishment. Perhaps the can-do attitude is more contagious. In any case, I’m all for anything that motivates people to engage in activities that reduce the incidence of diabetes, hypertension, and/or hyperlipidemia.
Evan and I went night skiing last week, and again skiied most of the day this past Sunday. He is becoming quite the athlete - I think he has found his niche! Scott and Arika accompanied us once again and can attest to the fact that it was quite a blizzard at Summit West. At one point, Evan and I were on a chair lift that stopped for about 3-4 minutes, and being suspended in midair with harsh wind pelting snow in my face was not the most pleasant feeling. Regardless, I slept very well that night.