12:54 PM CST on Monday, December 5, 2005

By DEBBIE FETTERMAN / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

In the mid-1980s, running 26.2 miles was still considered obscure and grueling, better left to serious runners.

Since then, the marathon has evolved into a sport of the masses. Finishing a marathon is now considered an attainable goal, fueled by training groups, how-to books, word-of-mouth testimonies and perceived physical and mental benefits.

"For good reason, the distance has been demystified," said 1972 Olympic marathon gold medalist Frank Shorter, who will participate in the half marathon at Sunday's Dallas White Rock Marathon.

"No one thinks of running a marathon as an insurmountable goal only available to a few people. It's a question of being in condition with the right training."

Marathon participation in the U.S. has increased from 25,000 in 1976 to an estimated 423,000 last year. Correspondingly, the median finish time at U.S. marathons has increased more than 51 minutes since 1980.

The focus for many new runners is on completing, not competing.

Shorter, who was at the front of running's first boom in the 1970s, attributes the rise in distance running to the many group training programs that have arisen from a second surge the sport experienced, beginning in the 1990s.

Dallas-area runners had six group-training programs to choose from last summer. Two were cause-based fund-raising efforts: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and the American Stroke Association's Train to End Stroke. Participants in such programs raise funds in exchange for coaching, race entry and, when applicable, lodging and airfare.

DARNELL RENEE/Special to DMN

Joe Bacon, pastor at Trailwood Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, gathers a winter group of the Dallas-based Team in Training for a run at White Rock Lake.

Ryan Lamppa, a spokesman with the USA Track and Field's Road Racing Information Center, said he has seen steady growth in endurance running.

"It's like a snowball, rolling downhill," said Lamppa, whose organization tracks all aspects of running. "As more new runners joined the second running boom through training programs, the more marathon finishers and the slower median times were produced."

In the last decade, hundreds of thousands of American runners have joined group-training programs. Their reasons vary, say program leaders at two local running outlets, Will Craven of Run On and Don Lucas of Luke's Locker.

For the majority, it's about fitness and wanting to accomplish a challenging goal.

"You don't have to be a great athlete to be into fitness, running and endurance," Lucas said. "If you train consistently, ordinary people can be successful at endurance events. People started to recognize that."

Other factors stirred interest in fitness. Those included the 1968 publication of Dr. Kenneth Cooper's first book, Aerobics, and subsequent research outlining the health benefits of aerobic exercise. Title IX legislation empowered women. Nike's "Just Do It" campaign encouraged Americans to participate in physical activity.

Others have been motivated to complete a marathon so they may add it to their personal resume. For many, completing one marathon whet their appetite to improve their time or be part of a major happening, like the marathons in New York and Chicago.

"There are some people that start out to put that marathon notch on their belt," Craven said. "They don't have any intention of doing another, and they don't. But I find that a lot of those people get hooked on getting ready for marathons. It becomes part of their lifestyle."

Programs offer a plan that minimizes problems often encountered by those who train alone. Group training provides motivation, support and a feeling of connection and obligation.

The three- to six-month process builds a running base and incrementally increases mileage to prepare individuals for the marathon. Coaches break the training into small, achievable steps. Noted trainer Jeff Galloway began recommending walk breaks over long distances, which made training less intimidating for many.

Overall, participants find the experience fun and fulfilling.

Pastor Joe Bacon certainly did.

Bacon, 52, joined the Team in Training program to train for his 17th marathon. He wanted to earn a trip to Alaska. Personal coaching and built-in training partners were major perks.

After three seasons, Bacon began coaching for the Dallas-based group. He's helped hundreds achieve their goals, and he's completed 53 of the 100 marathons he hopes to run.

Bacon has reached out to new audiences in a manner far different from preaching from a pulpit every Sunday at Trailwood Baptist Church in Grand Prairie.

Bacon is not running Sunday but hopes to come out after church and cheer on some of his 40 runners who are participating, the majority of whom are attempting the half marathon.

But even more important than the techniques and training tips, he leads by sharing his philosophy about marathons.

"My take is if you're going to put your body through that, do it for someone else, not just yourself," he said. "My first 16 marathons were for Joe Bacon. Each was an accomplishment. But since then, I've been running for someone who can't run. That makes it a lot more enjoyable."

E-mail: dfetterman@dfwrunning.com

What: Dallas White Rock Marathon, Half Marathon and Five-Person Relay

When: 8 a.m. Sunday

Where: Victory Plaza, American Airlines Center

Results: ChampionChip Timing with results based on chip time (except for the top overall men and women, whose times and awards will be determined by gun time)

Costs: Marathon $90 through Wednesday. $100 at expo Friday and Saturday. Half marathon $50 through Wednesday, $60 at expo Friday and Saturday. Five-person relay $130 through Wednesday, $150 at expo Friday and Saturday. No race-day registration.

Field: Approximately 10,000 runners, including 4,300 marathoners

Prize purse: $75,000, plus a $25,000 bonus for the winner of the inaugural Cooper Concepts Race to Victory gender challenge.

Records: Men's – 2 hours, 12 minutes, 18 seconds, set by John Lodwick, 1982. Women's – 2:33:39, set by Julie Brown, 1981.

Beneficiary: Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

TV: Channel 8. Live coverage begins at 9:30 a.m.

Information: 214-372-2068 or www.runtherock.com

• American Stroke Association's Train to End Stroke

• Cross Country Club of Dallas/Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center Marathon Training Program

• Jeff Galloway's Galloway Marathon Training

• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training

• Luke's Locker Dallas/Fort Worth Fit Programs

• Run On Training