Newsflash: Marathons can be dangerous

We're into the fall marathon season, and on Sunday that meant another victory for Kenya -- in this case, Daniel Rono in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Unfortunately, it also has come to mean time for another one of these sad stories -- a 41-year-old runner collapsed and died less than one kilometre from the finish of the half-marathon.

I don't know of any organization or website that collates marathon fatality statistics (if there is one, let me know and I'll post it at the bottom as an update). But there is no doubt they have become much more common in this age of larger fields, where more has brought in a whole new range of issues, not all of them particularly positive: Taking shortcuts in the name of getting a medal; Race bibs for sale (NYT subscription required) to the more high-profile, high-demand races; Experienced grumps upset that all these people have spoiled their cosy party. Walk into any running store, and among the GPS units and the hydration kits on offer, chances are there are marathon clinics that promise to get you to the finish line.

As Randy Starkman noted in the story linked earlier, the death of Martin Poyser marks the third year in a row someone has died in running at one of Toronto's two fall marathons (the second, the Toronto Marathon, goes two weeks from Sunday). And while this particular case may be just an example of the explanation thrown out by organizers -- the bigger numbers mean it's just the percentages catching up, running is actually quite safe, there's nothing we can do, etc. -- here's a case where someone actually suggests there are other factors involved:

Peter Donato of Toronto, a veteran race promoter who runs marathon clinics, said there are a lot of runners who overstep what should be their limits and those are the ones who usually get into trouble.
"Some just try to do too much too soon," he said. "If you look at where a lot of trouble happens, it's A-types who work 50 hours, don't eat too well and are egged on by their ego.
"I do a lot of talks and get a lot of questions and I just end up shaking my head thinking, 'You don't know what you're doing.' They don't take the proper approach. I don't think that's the sport's fault."

I have no idea what happened here (in the Sun's reports this morning, there's the suggestion that the runner had completed the full marathon last year.) But I do know this: Getting ready for a marathon requires a lot of time and commitment, including building a proper base before you get into an actual training programme. If you're contemplating running a race -- of any distance where you're going to be pushing yourself beyond your own limits -- consider a local running club instead of one of those shoe-store clinics, where you'll be surrounded by experienced runners more than willing to help you (and as a bonus, there's no suggestion you buy some shoes while you're there).

But most important of all: see your doctor first to find out if there are any pre-conditions that might increase the risk you're taking. Get a complete checkup.

Related: Waterfront Marathon Crowns Joggling Champ.

Update (9-27): Martin Poyser, 41: Hair stylist travelled world.

Spring Running-Off

Time to wrap it up around here with a Sports around town note.
Saturday morning High Park will be buzzing with the annual Harry's Spring Run-Off, Harry Rosen having taken over the sponsorship of this annual in its 28th year -- actually, it's two races, the 8K sold out and the 5K, as of Friday, still open.

RICHARD LAUTENS/TORONTO STAR

Harry's Spring Run-Off: Beware the Spring Road hill.

There's spring training for runners, too, and this is opening day, one of the best events on the local running calendar. If you're not in it but find yourself in the neighbourhood, there are worse things to do than grab a coffee and stand on the Spring Road hill watching the agonized faces toughing it out up the final 200+-metre uphill to the finish. Excruciating, whether you're a spectator or a runner.

Breaking news. Still on the roads, local distance runner Michal Kapral will be contesting the Boston Marathon in a couple of weeks -- while juggling. He's actually going up against Zach Warren, who broke the "joggling" record Kapral set at last year's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, both raising money for children's charities: A Run for Liane, raising money for a new childhood cancer care centre at the Hospital for Sick Children, and the Afghan Mobile Mini-Circus for Children. Running a sub 3:10 marathon and juggling at the same time and raising money for a worthy cause -- go for it, fellas.

One last look. Greg Norman, mentioned in numerous Masters previews and posts because it's the 10th anniversary of his Sunday collapse for the ages, has a $70 million yacht (thanks, Norris). (UPDATE: Norman sold the yacht in 2004 to Florida millionaire and sports owner Wayne Huizenga -- thanks to Victor for the e-mail and the link).

One last read. Weedy McSmokey, a great web handle from the SportsFilter crowd, has a dead-on essay on the Leafs, as we count down to the moment where they finally stop not conceding anything (thanks, Sean):

There is a constant paradox to this team. Technically, the Leafs are the second most successful team in the history of the sport -- yet so comically and legitimately unsuccessful that people who have never seen a victory speak of them in songs despite the fact that they occurred decades before they existed (the primary reason why The Tragically Hip will never attain true coolness. Being a Leaf fan is not cool. It is fun, but never cool. Mike Myers is a Leaf fan. Enough said.). It is a franchise that has been so buoyed by national radio and TV coverage for the better part of a century that it has bullied its way into being the favourite son of the land of hockey, boasting legions of fans from coast to coast -- fans who are unquestionably loyal, despite having been given every reason to question that loyalty. Self-loathing and celebrating unite every Saturday.

And this wicked bit:

The Leafs are principally owned by the Ontario School Teachers Pension Fund. So, that asshole math teacher that tormented you fifteen years ago is profiting from your yearly misery. That's the kind of attention to detail that you have to respect. The extra, almost unnoticed, Marquis de Sade-esque, exquisite nipple-twist cherry on the crotch-kick sundae.

Watching. The Masters (final round), Sunday, 2:30 p.m., CBS, Global. I promise, this is the last time I put golf in this spot.

Not watching. Canada Russia '72, Sunday and Monday, 8 p.m., CBC. I've seen enough and heard enough about this series to last me several lifetimes, and the blathering shows no signs of letting up. Now I'm supposed to sit down and watch the TV-movie version? Please, make it stop.

Back of the pack cheating

This is not Rosie Ruiz, guilty in 1980 of faking the Boston Marathon.

It's the opposite, actually, and very 2005: A Toronto runners' group admits to assisting its members at the back of the pack in taking a short cut of "several miles" at Washington's Marine Corps Marathon last month:

Some of the slowest runners were encouraged to take a shortcut. They left the route and rejoined it, shaving off several miles and ensuring that they would be able to reach the key bridge and finish the event within the seven-hour limit. ... between 150 and 200 others finished without following the full course, (the race director) said.

I'm not going to jump on a group for promoting healthier lifestyles, which is what JeansMarines, the group in question, have been doing for some time, and good on them for it.

But this story points to an overused misnomer -- this current "running boom". It's more like a walking boom, and one of its prime tenets is this myth that 42.2-kilometre marathons are healthy for anyone to do after a few months of training from scratch with like-minded newbies at your local shoe store. And so the aging baby boomers stretch out the fields at major marathons like Washington, where they have to institute rules to prevent excessive straggling. And in a few cases, because they can't finish within the rules -- because they really shouldn't be in there in the first place -- they cheat.

"The only reason they would cheat is just personal bragging rights -- which you gotta live with."

Rosie got a bum rap. At least she cheated to win.