When the Turkey Trot Was More Than Just a 5k: A Brief History of Marathons On and Around Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving, it’s tradition for many runners to participate in a turkey trot. RunSignUp expected about 1,000,000 people to register for a race using their service this year. That’s a lot of turkey trots. In many cases, these races are short. 5k’s are the most popular, but there are a number of variations from the … Read more

Lessons from the Chicago Marathon for Boston Qualifying Hopefuls

Last month, I posted a lengthy analysis of the Chicago Marathon results. Part of that analysis was whether runners managed a negative split or not. Subsequently, I’ve done some more thinking about this issue. After some discussions around the data, I came up with a different way to think about the problem. Instead of looking … Read more

The 2024 Chicago Marathon: Three Interesting Data Insights (Plus More)

The view of the starting line from Corral C in the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

Last weekend was the the 2024 Chicago Marathon. Over 52,000 runners hit the streets of Chicago for the race. As I do after each World Marathon Major, I’ve collected the results and analyzed them to see if there are any interesting tidbits. I’ve published a detailed analysis in Runner’s Life, which you can find here. … Read more

The 2024 Berlin Marathon: Three Interesting Data Insights (Plus More)

Tigist Ketema running towards the finish line at the end of the Berlin Marathon

Last weekend was the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Marathon. To celebrate the occasion, over 54,000 runners ran the race. As I do after each World Marathon Major, I’ve collected the results and analyzed them to see if there are any interesting tidbits. I’ve published a detailed analysis in Runner’s Life, which you can find … Read more

Is the Boston Marathon’s Selection Process Fair to Both Men and Women?

Finishers at the 2024 Boston Marathon

Many runners have strong opinions about Boston’s qualifying times and their selection process. People will inevitably complain that it’s unfair for one group or another. I recently saw a post in a Facebook group suggesting that the process was unfair for women – and that the new qualifying times would make things more unfair. This … Read more