First appearing in The Tecumseh Herald, Nov. 2, 2023
Boston, London, Chicago, Berlin, and New York City have something in common that is said to have originated in ancient Greece: these are the top five cities worldwide for marathon runners.
Although millions have run 26.2-mile courses around the world, they still represent a small percentage of the population. It’s a lot of work and a huge commitment to go from training to crossing the finish line. Fall is one of the most popular times for marathons, too. Chicago’s event was Oct. 8, while the Detroit Free Press Marathon was Oct. 15. The Niagara Falls Marathon, a beautiful jog along the Niagara River in Canada, was held Oct. 22.
Just last week marked 20 years since I last ran in a long-distance event, and it was in Niagara Falls. Growing up, I was never athletically inclined–in junior high, I was the last girl picked for teams in gym class and I never felt comfortable in my own body. I certainly was not coordinated enough even for kickball or dodgeball on the playground. So I grew up longing to be the lithe, athletic, size 6 girls who confidently fielded line drives on the baseball diamond and sunk baskets from the paint. Then, I’d go read a book.
Fast-forward 25 years. I started running in earnest in my late 30s. I finished the Dexter-Ann Arbor half-marathon in the 1990s, and a few 5ks here and there. Then, a couple of friends of mine thought it might be fun to enter a marathon. None of us had really done the kind of training that such a commitment requires, but we decided to give it a shot and signed up for the Chicago Marathon. We ran it two years in a row–2000 and 2001–and it was fun, but it was also grueling and brutal. The course itself is long–about the distance from my house to Briarwood Mall, give or take a mile, and it took me hours. After Chicago, I ran in three half-marathons, two in Las Vegas and that final one in Niagara Falls. In all three instances, I kept looking for the “sag wagon” because I wanted to quit. But it somehow never appeared and I eventually was forced to the finish line.
I don’t run anymore for a number of reasons related to ankle, knee, and hip joints. And I never attained that lithe, conditioned runner’s body–in fact, in some races, because I weighed more than a certain amount, I had to register as a “Clydesdale.” ( I’m not making this up!) My main goal in any race was simple: don’t be the last person over the finish line. And I did manage to achieve that goal. Still, it took me a while to realize that all those teen-age dreams of being an athlete did come to pass for me, just not in the way I expected.
Earlier this week, I had a chance to interview Sam Schmidt of Schmidt and Sons Pharmacy. The 48-year-old runner was fortunate enough to be selected to compete in the prestigious New York City Marathon, which will be held this Sunday in the Big Apple.
Sam said he last ran a full marathon in 2012, when he competed in Detroit. However, he has run many half-marathons; his best time has been 1:28 for the 13.1-mile course.
Sam has been running since high school. He says the “health aspect” of running is one of the reasons he keeps pushing himself, and “I like being outside, seeing the sights and sounds of nature.”
You can read more about Sam’s journey and how he did in the prestigious race in next week’s Herald.
In the meantime, let’s all cheer Sam on from the virtual sidelines as he makes his way through the five boroughs en route to that finish line.
SQUIBS 