Sacramento Running News

Unless there is some egregious error in a post, I almost never revisit something I’ve written here.

Last week, I wrote Going Big, which was a lamentation of sorts on the state of the marathon.

The article was triggered by my reading a newspaper story about Chris Spangenberg’s attempt to set a world record for being the heaviest person to ever complete a marathon. This story sparked considerable, energetic reactions in a number of people.

What was most fascinating to me was how my post served as a sort of Rorschach ink blot for the readers. Many readers resonated with my concerns about the sport, while others saw it as an attack on a specific individual (i.e., Mr. Spangenberg) or slower runners.

In truth, the irritation and frustration that I was trying to express was with two specific issues: the press for not covering running in any meaningful way, and the “marathon training industry” that has sold the idea that everyone can and should run a marathon.

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This picture has nothing to do with the story.

When I read the Press Democrat’s article about Chris Spangenberg’s attempt at this past weekend’s Cloverdale Harvest Marathon to set a world record for being the heaviest marathon finisher, my first reaction was: “Our sport is dead.”

This story bothers me on a number of fronts. The 425 pound man who trudged the course in 13 hours and 45 minutes gets an entire newspaper article about his efforts, but the winner–Sacramento’s own Ray “I’ll run anything” Sanchez–gets nary a mention. While this certainly took some effort, it is not running. It’s not even brisk walking.

There is something disturbing about the fact that Spangenberg put in all this effort and training to complete the event and probably did nothing to improve his health or enjoyment of life. He began his training with the stated intent of being the heaviest man to ever complete a marathon, and only lost 20 lbs in the process. At the end of that long effort, he’s still morbidly obese and still facing a life-time of poor health and discomfort.

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