Marathon Report.
Despite several cancellations due to weather and the Boston Marathon
terror attack, 2013 was another record year for the classic distance
with more than 1,100 marathons run across the country generating 541,000
finishers with a breakdown of 57% men and 43% women (a new high).
Last
year, we reported that the estimated number of U.S. marathon finishers
had declined from a record high 518,000 finishers in 2011 to 487,000
in 2012 (a 6% decrease), but like 2001, most of the decline was
attributed to a unique situation; in 2001, it was post-9/11 travel
impacting fall marathons, and in 2012, the ING New York City Marathon,
the world’s largest 26.2 mile race with 47,000-plus finishers, was
cancelled due to the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. If the NYC Marathon
had been held in 2012, there is no doubt that the 2012 overall
marathon finisher total would have exceeded the 2011 record of 518,000
marathon finishers.
2013
was also another year of unlikely perils impacting U.S. marathons. On
April 15, the Boston Marathon’s finish line area suffered an act of
terror, 4 hours, 9 minutes, 43 seconds into the race. In addition, two
large-scale December events, the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon and
St. Jude Memphis Marathon were cancelled due to inclement weather,
both the same weekend. The result of those unable to finish the Boston
Marathon as well as event cancellations was approximately 13,000 fewer
marathon finishers for 2013 in those events. But the return of the New
York City Marathon (above, PhotoRun) with its record 50,266 finishers helped push the aforementioned 2013 number to a new high.