Fastest Marathon Runners. Christina Overbeck Crawford was a Chicago-area mechanical engineer looking to test her marathon legs after a standout Division III college career. Christy Runde was a masters runner from Brush Prairie, Wash., hoping to score a hot time on one of the world's fastest courses.
The two didn't know each other, but had one major thing in common: Both had qualified for "Elite Development" seeding, which meant that both were fast enough that the dream of most marathoners -- qualifying for Boston -- wasn't much of a challenge. But neither was fast enough to be running with the pros.
"They're in a gray area," says Paul Greer, coach of the San Diego Track Club, who like many club coaches has encountered numerous runners in that broad zone between good and Olympic-trials-level good.
Most runners don't even realize there are qualifying standards to chase between Boston and the Olympic trials. They're missing out -- on opportunities for everything from guaranteed (sometimes free) entries to prime starting-line positioning to dedicated bathrooms, baggage check and tents. Plus, a time goal for a semi-elite start can be a powerful motivating force in training.
The New York City Marathon has long provided guaranteed entry to fast-enough runners. Its standards are tougher than Boston's, but nowhere nearly as tough as the Olympic trials (which for 2016 will require a time of 2:43 for women and 2:18 for men). Although Superstorm Sandy delayed the announcement of 2013 New York standards, men under 40 have historically needed a 2:45 marathon or a 1:19 half. Women have needed a 3:00 or 1:27. There are also standards for masters runners up to age 70.
The London Marathon does something similar, and Japan's men's-only Fukuoka International Marathon and Yokohama Women's Marathon are open to those who can hit 2:42 and 3:05, respectively. But London's lottery-bypass standards apply only to British citizens. And the Japanese races have international-athlete qualification rules clouded by a language barrier that weeds out international competitors other than true elites. If you're an American looking to qualify your way into a marathon tougher than Boston, the name of the game appears to be New York City . . . or Chicago.
While qualifying for New York merely gets you past the notoriously tough lottery (a major bonus), Chicago's Elite Development Program offers more. Qualify, and you'll get not only a chance for late registration, but a heated warm-up tent, food, and volunteers to collect your warm-up gear and return it to you at the end. "You feel very special," says Runde.
All of those perks also help people race their best. "It took the stress off the normal things a person worries about," Runde says, citing bathroom lines and gear checks in particular. "I could think more about my race."
Qualifying, however, isn't easy. This year's standards are a 2:31 marathon for men (1:11 half marathon) or 3:01 (1:21 half) for women. And those times are fast enough that they come with another important benefit: the chance for the 250 to 300 runners who enter that way to line up beside the invited elites (albeit in a separate lane).
"It's awesome to know you're not going to have to battle for position," says Runde. "[It] allows you to get in your groove right away." And, she adds, it was exciting to see just one barrier between her and the professional runners.
Overbeck Crawford concurs. "It was really exciting to be there race morning, in the dark with heat lamps and people in uniforms -- all these athletes who looked really fit. It's funny, you feel taken care of -- which takes away some of your nerves -- but you are with a bunch of serious, fast-looking runners, which makes you more nervous."
It can also be a bit like finding yourself at Boston, wanting to prove you belong there by running as fast as your qualifying standard. But when the race starts, most runners forget their nerves. Runde ran 2:53:21, finishing 31st woman (second master). Overbeck Crawford was seven places back in 2:54:39.
Seeding isn't just for the superfast or for the marathon distance. Many other big races offer some form of subelite seeding that gets you out of the crowd, where you can run your best without tripping over people. The 50,000-runner 12K Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Wash., has a wave it calls "Second Seed," with qualifying times of 39:00 10K for men and 47:00 for women. You can also get in on equivalent times at other distances.
Atlanta's Peachtree 10K (opposite page) has a similar field it calls "Top Seed," with 2012 standards equivalent to 36:30 for men and 40:00 for women. New York Road Runners offers guaranteed entry into its New York City Half at times comparable to those needed for the NYC Marathon. San Francisco's Bay to Breakers 12K has a "Sub-Seeded" wave and sets standards at the equivalents of 37:20 and 42:30.
What you get if you qualify varies. Bloomsday has historically charged Second Seed runners a nominal extra fee but given them their own toilets, baggage check, singlets, and a post-race pizza party and massage. San Jose's 25,000-runner Silicon Valley 5K Turkey Trot offers free entry to men who can break 14:45 or women under 17:45.
You can also find many small races that give comped entries to much slower runners. Navigating your way through this maze is largely a matter of reading websites, emailing race directors, and hobnobbing with similarly seeded runners. That was something Overbeck Crawford learned at her 2009 Chicago Marathon. "You meet a lot of people going after similar goals," she says. "That was the time I started networking. You're exchanging numbers."
She notes that treating runners like stars not only draws better competition to the race, but also builds a long-term constituency. "You want to go back and support that race," she says.
Carey Pinkowski, executive race director for the Chicago Marathon, would agree. The athletes in the Elite Development Program, he says, are putting in 100-mile weeks in the hope of moving up to the next level, whether that's qualifying for the Olympic trials, earning a sponsorship, or simply improving already impressive PRs. "It's a caliber of athlete that often gets overlooked," he says.
The 32,000-runner Shamrock Run in Portland, Ore., takes a slightly different approach. "Shamrock gives very few comp entries to elite runners, compared to what we provide for top age-group competitors and runners and walkers 'with a story,'" says race director Steve Hamilton. "We prefer to issue comp entries to a select number of longtime local runners and other participants who have provided the event with some good photo memories or social media posts."
Such programs solve another basic problem for race directors: They fill empty streets between the elite field and the rest of the pack. Even races with fast winning times often have large gaps behind the leaders. "Maybe there's one or two guys between 2:20 and 2:35," says Scott Wandzilak, a 2:29:44 marathoner from Marina del Ray, Calif., who ran his PR last year in Chicago.
But in Chicago, he says, "I ran with a group of 10 guys. We got together in the tent beforehand, all trying to crack 2:30. I think three of us ended up doing it. It was one of the best experiences I've been part of."
A Step Down From Beantown
Starting in 2011, the California International Marathon in Sacramento joined New York, Chicago and London among marathons with guaranteed-entry standards for fast runners. Unlike New York's standards, however, CIM's are geared for runners hoping to use its fast, downhill course to qualify for Boston (although faster runners can also use them). They are set 10 minutes and 59 seconds slower than Boston's, and give qualified runners an extended opportunity to register during the first half of October for the event, which this year will be held on Dec. 8, even if the race is otherwise full. See www.runcim.org.
Open Circle
Find collegiate track races that welcome all-comers.
In high school and college, running is largely confined to track or cross country. Upon graduation it tends to shift to the roads. But it doesn't have to be that way. Many collegiate meets are open to individuals.
To find such meets, the leading resource is Direct Athletics, a website that serves as a clearinghouse for track-related information. In general, Division I collegiate meets require fast times. But some Division III meets and many junior college meets are open to anyone who wants to show up, especially in the 10K, where fields often don't fill. As early as the first week in January, Direct Athletics had already listed 250 U.S. and Canadian meets open to individuals.
Track isn't for everyone. Many races have qualifying standards. The trick is to study seed times (and results) to find races in which you'd be comfortable.
"Some of my best memories are around a track," says Christina Overbeck Crawford, a 2008 Calvin College grad. "The track is a good judge of where you are, fitness-wise. If you PR on the track, it's definitely a PR."
Your motivation is also different from that of the collegiate runners in the field. "It's just me against me," says Helen Rarick, a Eugene, Ore., runner who's shaved 1:19 from her collegiate 5,000m PR. "I'm competing for myself, purely for the love of the sport."
It's also a good way to sharpen your racing skills, says Bob Williams, assistant track coach at Concordia University in Portland, Ore. "You learn how to hang on, how to take on more discomfort," he says. "Track is where the rubber hits the road, because there's no escape. You have to stay with it."
