3/18/08

Diane Sherrer

MarathonGuide.com is the go-to Web site for everything you've always wanted to know about marathoning but were afraid to ask.

There are many fine marathon Web sites as resources, including individual marathon-specific sites. But on Monday morning, if I want to find out how you performed at some 26.2-miler, that's where I go. There are no secrets on the Web. I can even research a list of every marathon you've done -- fast or slow.

There's basic information, results, reviews and news at your fingertips. Do you want to know what the running public thinks about the Wineglass Marathon? That's on the site, too.

That's why MarathonGuide.com is infinitely qualified to put out a 2007 overview of U.S. marathoning, just published this month.

This is not to be confused with another highly reputable data analysis, published annually by the Road Runner Information Center. That report undoubtedly will appear in the near future as well.

So, what happened in the world of U.S. marathoning last year? According to MarathonGuide.com, here's the scoop.

Not since 2001, and the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, has marathoning been dramatically affected by an unexpected occurrence. The 9/11 attacks, on the eve of the fall marathon season, scared the running shoes off marathoners, altered the landscape of marathon organization and caused many people to stay home.

In 2007, says MarathonGuide.com, blame a...