Are Marathons Too Risky?

The Media Weighs In

Today's MSN home page teaser line asks the question, "Are Marathons Too Risky?" In case you missed it, millions of runners collapsed on Sunday in Chicago at the most dangerous event in the world due to global warming.

OK, I exaggerate. But here's the caption to the picture in the Associated Press story.

Spectators watch the start of the Chicago Marathon. The brutally hot marathon that descended into disarray this weekend — with hundreds in the field of 36,000 runners vomiting or collapsing by the roadside — has raised questions about whether marathons have become too big and too greedy.

The article went on to discuss if organizers should limit the size of a marathon. The Chicago Marathon was huge, with 45,000 participants pre-registered. What struck me is that the article missed the point. It was the heat that brought people down.Big marathons aren't too risky. In fact, a huge marathon will do a whole lot less damage in our society than a lot of other activities. You realize that when you look at the studies on diabetes today or go to your local shopping mall or restaraunt and look around. Diabetes is now the number 6 cause of death in the USA.

I've now run three 5K races and am training for a half-marathon. But my greatest risk factor is the 30 extra pounds I carry around every day. That is more likely to kill me than a marathon, although if I had entered that race on that day, I'm pretty sure I would have been one of the collapsers.

I started running because of one of these mega-races, so I'm kinda particular towards them. Yes, some are too big. But too risky? Nah.

I think God made us with a need to do "risky" stuff. When we sit back and get complacent, that's when we are risking harm. We were meant to go out there and do stuff. To exert ourselves and push. When our focus becomes comfort or self-indulgence, that's when the harmful stuff happens, whether we're talking physically or spiritually.

Are you doing anything that you consider noble, but that others kinda look at and say, "Not for me!"? Post a comment about it.