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Rave Reviews for Marathon & Beyond

The sport of running has long been perceived as a thought-provoking activity. In order to reach one's full potential in competition, one must spend a fair amount of time looking inward to find the answers that will unlock the secrets to tapping that potential. Those who fully embrace long-distance running find it to be a constant learning process.

No events demand an athlete's full devotion more than marathon and ultramarathon distance races. Those athletes now have a publication they can fully embrace as well, called Marathon & Beyond.

It only takes a cursory glance to see that M&B is attempting to carve a unique niche among running publications. The fact that M&B is sized more like a book more than a traditional magazine is a tip-off to the contents inside. What is inside are a full complement of meaty articles on a variety of topics pertaining to the marathon and ultradistance races. Included in each issue are first-person accounts of races from around the world, "how-to" articles from leading coaches and exercise physiologists, and an in-depth review of a selected marathon for those looking to travel to a race.

Experts also provide detailed answers to questions from readers on training for and racing marathons and ultras. In addition, it is clear the M&B editors are students of history. Analytical studies of the history of our sport are the kind of articles one simply does not find in any other running publication. There simply are not any stock articles in M&B. One is consistently left with the impression that the authors have put a great amount of thought and effort into each piece.

M&B is also conspicuous by what it lacks, namely race results and calendar listings, the meat and potatoes of streamlined running publications. The editors clearly state that this running publication has more lofty goals than to list and report on races, and it shows.

Most all print running publications appeal to the widest possible audience and target pieces for the lowest common denominator. This is the usual formula for profitability. There has never been a running publication that has forgone these staples in order to seek a higher plane. In effect, the publishers and editors of M&B are giving marathon and ultra runners a compliment by saying they believe there are enough athletes who are committed enough to the sport to support a publication that offers something deeper than basic training articles and race summaries.

What makes M&B truly succeed however, is that it appeals to new marathoners as well as experienced ones. Regardless of the amount of years or experience one has in the sport, each article will leave the reader with more information, as well as a point of view worth contemplating. If you are a marathoner or prospective marathoner to whom the sport means more than just covering 26.2 miles, take the opportunity to read Marathon & Beyond. If you do, I can assure you that it will not be the last time you do.

Freddi Carlip, Runner's Gazette

Running Along the Literary Trail

Running publications, just like the runners who read them, come in all shapes and sizes. There are the glossies, chock full with slick ads and ways to improve race times. There are the regionals, (Runner's Gazette for example), each with the flavor of the area it covers. There are running club newsletters which are perfect for all of the club-related goings-on. And there's the Road Runners Club of America's flagship publication FootNotes, which provides valuable information for RRCA members.

With so many pubs to chose from, what makes a "new kid on the block" stand out? Plenty! Especially when it's Marathon & Beyond, a bimonthly feast for runners who are not only interested in marathons and ultras, but also in running as pure sport.

There are articles to interest even the most jaded runner. Each issue features "On the Road" by former Running Times editor Scott Douglas. Where else would you find a 10-part series on the "Great Six-Day Races" of another era? Or find a well-written article, that does more than scratch the surface, on the marathon madness that gripped us 25 years ago...and grips us still?

M&B presents us with a smorgasbord where each selection is too good to pass up. Articles featured in past issues have included "The Shorter Legacy"; "The Vegetarian Runner"; "The Last Olympic Marathoner"; "Into the Valley of Death"; and "The Frank and Bill Show."

In addition to Roger's column, regular features include "My Most Unforgettable Marathon (or ultra) and What I Learned From It"; an in-depth piece on a marathon in North America; a reader/expert Q&A; an editorial by Rich Benyo; and, something we rarely see in other running publications, a bio and photo of each contributing writer.

M&B is easy to read and easy to take anywhere. It's soft-cover and book-size, and has the readability of a favorite magazine. Each article and each writer is chosen with care and with the reader in mind.

Marathon & Beyond serves up a varied menu of well-written articles that are informative and interesting—a feast to satisfy any reader.

As its tagline so aptly says, " Go the extra miles with Marathon & Beyond." The cost of $36.95 for one year is a bargain for sure.