The Charleston Distance Run, one of a handful of 15-mile races in the U.S., is known for its odd distance. That may be its problem.
The 2010 12K Bay to Breakers race, in San Francisco, drew 60,000 runners, both serious and in costume.
The boom in running for fun is leaving odd-length races in the dust. Road races of quirky distances—15 miles, 7 miles and 20Ks, to name a few examples—are looking at ways to reinvent themselves, in an era when runners flock to standard distances such as marathons (26.2 miles), half-marathons (13.1 miles), 10Ks and, for those new to running, 5Ks. Many of these oddball courses became popular in the 1970s' running boom, when there were fewer races competing to draw Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter and other high-profile marathoners of the time.
Today, standard distances are more appealing: Many runners consider the marathon an item on their bucket list. The half-marathon carries the allure of being the gateway to a full one. And runners who stick to half-marathons and marathons can easily compare times from one race to the next—an important perk for those shooting for personal records.
These distances saw the highest levels of increases in participation last year. The number of finishers in half-marathons grew 24% in 2009, while marathons and 5Ks saw 10% and 13% increases, respectively, according to Running USA, a nonprofit that tracks running events. Organizers of odd-distance races either have to change to a standard distance, or find other ways to attract crowds.
"If you're a runner interested in a fall tune-up for your marathon or a late fitness test, you're going to probably opt for a more traditional distance," says Ryan Lamppa, researcher for Running USA. Organizers of an oddball race "are going to have to market it in a way that's going to make people want to check it out."
Can simply changing the distance make a race popular again? Organizers of the Chicago Distance Classic say it worked. In 2004, they changed the race from a 20K to a half-marathon—adopting a course roughly seven-tenths of a mile longer—and found a new marketing hook.
"We clearly positioned it as a halfway home for folks training for the Chicago Marathon," says John Bingham, whose company, John Bingham Racing, bought the Chicago race in 2002. "My impression was this generation of runners didn't get what a 20K was."
Participation in the Chicago race has grown from 2,400 in 2002 to about 19,000 this year, according to organizers' estimates. The race is now part of the Rock 'N Roll Marathon series, owned by Competitor Group Inc. of San Diego, with 17 running events featuring live music and cheerleaders.
Changing to a standard distance is especially tempting for races outside big cities. In many cases, the change involves just a mile or two more or less, but even such a small change can anger local die-hards.
In Charleston, as the Distance Run committee prepares to vote, the contemplated change is drawing outrage from fans who think the hilly 15-miler should be preserved.
"You don't have to have a standard distance to get runners," says Fred Waybright, 63, who has competed in the Distance Run for decades, including the 2010 race on Sept. 4. "We have something unique here."
Another West Virginia race, the hilly Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic Run, which takes place over Memorial Day weekend in Wheeling, is making the change to a half-marathon next year. The race had been seeing declining numbers—from 2,400 in 1984 to about 500 this past Memorial Day.
The new length will enable organizers to promote it on websites like halfmarathon.net, says Dennis Delbert, president of a local runners club. "Sometimes traditions don't hold. You've got to change with the times."
Participation is up in the Chicago Distance Classic, now a half-marathon.
Some race organizers say an odd distance isn't a hurdle. In Massachusetts, the seven-mile Falmouth Road Race on Aug. 15 drew 9,700 finishers (organizers usually cap the number of participants because of the course's narrow roads). Lucia Carroll, co-director of the race, says the location sells itself, attracting people from out of town who spend the weekend on Cape Cod. "It's a family-oriented event," she says.
Still, many races have to convince sponsors they are worthwhile despite a lower profile. The Falmouth race lost its title sponsor of five years, Philadelphia health insurer Cigna Corp., and now is looking for a new one. Cigna, which sponsors a number of athletic events across the country, said in a statement it continually re-evaluates sponsorships, declining to elaborate.
Some races have embraced their quirkiness and face a different conundrum: unwanted participants. San Francisco's Bay to Breakers race, a popular 12K sponsored for the past five years by ING, drew 60,000 participants in May, only about half of whom were registered runners.
Many participants showed up in costumes; some raced as "centipedes," tied together. In recent years the race has had problems with rowdiness from so-called bandits, runners who join in on race day without registering.
This year, ING said it decided not to renew its race sponsorship, citing "shifting priorities," and declined to give specifics.
For the Bay to Breakers' 100th anniversary in May 2011, organizers want to ban alcohol consumption and the use of floats, which are generally the source of the partying. "We're really going to take people back in time and remind them why this race was created," says Angela Fang, general manager of the race. "We're definitely not focusing on the party aspect of it."
But like it or not, the weird factor is now ingrained in the race's appeal. "This is a fun party, and you get to dress up," says Sue Potter, 65, who attended the race wearing a googly-eyed fish costume this year. "There's a huge draw there."
mzungo says: Runners, support the odd distances! I ran the New Haven 20k and loved it. The Berlin 25k is still one of my favorite races.
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