According to this article in the New York Times, many marathons now have different weight classes for runners to level the playing field for heavier people:
“While most running events allow runners to compete in age divisions, a number of road races and triathlons also offer participants the chance to compete in weight divisions, which allows athletes to compare their performances against athletes with a similar build. Clydesdale runners argue that a number of sports, like boxing and wrestling, focus on weight-based competition, and it also makes sense in the sport of running, where slighter-framed runners have a clear advantage over those carrying an extra 50 pounds or more.”
Interesting. I guess if you’re running for competition this would be nice, but personally if I ran a marathon I’d be happy to cross the finish line with my legs still attached.
Also in the article, they mention a woman named Katy Moeller who ran the NYC marathon at 220lb. Now that gives me hope.
What do you think? Myself, I like the name– Clydesdales are beautiful strong horses :)
Running While Fat 