rollamultisport

Sunday, January 13 is a huge day in the world of marathoning. That particular date will see the running of three very well attended events: the Disney World Marathon, the Chevron Houston Marathon, and the PF Chang Rock n Roll Marathon in Phoenix.

For most runners, running a marathon in Minnesota on January 13 might be unthinkable, but not when it's 68 degrees with no wind, hills, or humidity. The Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon may be the only race of its kind in the U.S. The event is staged on the track of the Tostrud Center at St. Olaf College. With a field strictly limited to 40 participants, each runner is assigned a personal lap-counter/cheerleader. Runners perform 150 laps, with a joint easing reversal of direction every 30 minutes. Four aid stations offer ample hydration and calories while piped in music helps maintain motivation. Believe it or not, slots for this race are highly sought after... The ZYY Marathon may be unique these days, it wasn't the first indoor marathon. After jumping in the Way Back Machine with Sherman and Professor Peabody, we discovered that in 1909 Matthew Maloney of the Trinity Athletic Club won a marathon in Madison Square Garden with a time of 2:54:45.

Ninety-nine St Louis metro residents have qualified and are registered for the 2008 Boston Marathon to be held on Monday, April 21.

Eastern Missouri Ultra Series:
Double Chubb 25K/50K Trail Runs - Saturday, April 19
Berryman Marathon/50 mile Trail Runs - Sauray, May 17
Flatlanders 6/12 Hour Runs - Sunday, August 31
Frankenstein Marathon and Spirit of the Osage 50K - Sunday, October 26.