The Honorable Clan of the Long-Distance Runner: Great Article by Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch

I’d like to alert you to an excellent article on running in the New York Times. Written by Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch, the article takes a somewhat philosophical look at what it means to be a runner, and why recent events in the running world such as Kip Litton’s cheating and Paul Ryan’s exaggerated marathon time bother us so much.

Here’s an excerpt:

For true distance runners, to lie about time or distance is to lie to ourselves, to diminish the importance of the many sacrifices we make to reach the starting line. Focus and discipline form the core of a runner’s being; they are what make us put on a reflective vest and run six miles into the sleet at 6 on a dark winter morning.

There are no shortcuts to marathon success. Our race performances are sacred…

It’s a great article, to read it in its entirety click here.