by John Welch

This is a continuation of the preview of the Marathon to Marathon in the September 2003 issue of Inside Texas Running. For the complete story on this new and exciting marathon, pick up a copy of that issue of ITR. Subscribe to ITR today!

When runners hear the word marathon, most think of the 26.2-mile race. But marathon has also come to signify other things, such as a marathon shopping session or a marathon volleyball match. The word marathon is itself completely shrouded in myth and controversy. But whether or not you believe that Athenian courier Phidippides, who was sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon, ran from Marathon to Athens shouting, "Rejoice! We conquer!" or not, you have a chance to run in a Marathon to Marathon on October 11.

Paul Carrozza, who is the owner of Run-Tex in Austin, will be the race director of the inaugural Marathon to Marathon from Alpine to, where else, Marathon. And besides a marathon, there is also a two-person relay in the form of a Ride 'N' Tie (two runners and one bicycle), a 10K and a 2-mile Mosey - that's walk for all you non-Texans. The event is the brainchild of Susan Combs, the Texas Agricultural Commissioner, who is from Marathon. Combs, along with Evan Smith, the editor of Texas Monthly magazine, wanted to do something to put Marathon on the Texas running map - and calendar.

"Susan's family owns a ranch in the area, and she felt that it would be good to give runners from Texas another alternative of a quality race to compete in at the marathon distance," said Carrozza, who was named by President George W. Bush to the Presidential Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. "This is the event's first year, of course, but we feel like runners from Texas and surrounding states will want to come here and run. The course will be rolling (along U.S. Highway 90), and will go from an altitude of 4,200 feet at the start in Alpine to 3,800 feet at the finish in Marathon."

Carrozza admits that he has not tried to court the top elite runners, but he hopes that in the future runners will not only come to Marathon to race, but to train as well.

"We want to set up a training center for elite endurance athletes somewhere in the near future," Carrozza said. "It's cooler and drier that a lot of other areas in Texas, and with the amenities the area has to offer, we feel that it would be the ideal spot."

The entry fee for the marathon and the Ride 'N' Tie is $100, while the fee for the 10K will be $25. The fee for the Mosey will be $15. Carrozza is including options for runners to travel to the race site from several major Texas cities by bus.

For more information on the Marathon to Marathon events, go to: www.runtex.com or call Run-Tex at (512) 472- 3254.