Sports
Runners Now Entering Virtual Marathons to Qualify for the Real Thing
Because runners are insane. But you knew that already.
The New York City Marathon is so popular that hundreds of runners are planning to brave the 26.2-mile distance on their own—no fuel stalls, no Gatorade tables, no bathroom stations, not even any cheer zones—just for a shot to take on the real thing next year.
This weekend, 500 endurance enthusiasts are signed up to participate in a “virtual” marathon, which is being held for the first time by the New York Road Runners organization. The registrants, each of whom has paid $100 ($120 for nonmembers), range from age 21 to 67. They’ll be running in 28 countries and 39 U.S. states, from Florida and California to New Jersey and New York.