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I want to let you know about a special event The New York Times is holding on the Saturday before the Boston Marathon.
Our own Lindsay Crouse — who is a 2:57 marathoner! — is moderating The Race Is On: Top Runners Talk Competition, a panel discussion with Des Linden, winner of the last Boston Marathon; Shalane Flanagan, winner of the 2017 New York City Marathon, Tatyana McFadden, a Paralympian and five-time Boston Marathon winner; Sarah Sellers, who finished second in last year’s race along with other speedy pro women, including Sarah Crouch, Lindsay Flanagan, Sara Hall and Jordan Hasay.
They’ll talk about how the women’s field is getting faster than ever before, and how we got here.
The chat will start at 3 p.m. April 13 at the Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont Street, Boston.
Tickets are $25; readers of this newsletter can use the code RUN for $5 off.
If you aren’t running the Boston Marathon on April 15 (as many of us, myself included, are not!) you could give a virtual run a try on that day.
This week, I looked into the trend of paying to run races wherever you want. You’re not physically part of a crowd, but you can have some of the sense of participating in a group event — usually with a medal to show for it.
I admit that I was surprised at how popular virtual races have become. I run races because I like the communal aspect of the sport and being challenged by other runners. But for runners who can’t necessarily dedicate a day to a race, or who want to try racing without doing it in front of other people, virtual runs are providing a different kind of experience.
On the plus side, there’s no crowd at the parking lot or lines for the porta-potties, but there’s also none of the usual support at rest areas or cheering at the finish line.
Have you tried a virtual race? Let me know — I’m on Twitter @byjenmiller.
