Can a Runner do an Indoor Track Marathon Without Losing His Mind?

It wasn't as dumb an idea as it sounds.

With summertime temperatures in DC at 90 degrees or more, running a marathon inside an air conditioned building in July seemed to make sense. At least it did in 2010 to local marathoning legend Michael Wardian, who co-created the Grant-Pierce Indoor Marathon with local race director Jay Wind, for the express purpose of breaking the world indoor marathon record. The race was named after Wardian's two children, and consisted of 211 laps on 200 meter indoor track at Jefferson Community Center in Arlington, VA. Wardian succeeded that year, with a time of 2:27:21, and thereafter this indoor marathon became an annual event.

Such craziness isn't new, however. Indoor marathoning revives a tradition going back over a century. In the early 1900s, spectator sports were becoming a booming business in America, and along with cycling, football, baseball, and boxing, indoor running races -- also called pedestrianism -- was big business. Venues such as Madison Square Garden were often packed for big races, which drew in sportsmen and gamblers alike. In 1928, Joie Ray set a world record for the indoor marathon. It stood for 82 years, until Michael Wardian came along and broke it.

It would be hard to say that indoor marathoning is enjoying a resurgence, since only a few hundred runners compete in these races annually, compared with the crowds of 40,000 or so who race in Chicago or New York these days. Still, in the past five years, six new races have sprouted across the U.S. and Canada, including an indoor trail race held in a motocross arena.

Knowing all that should have left me feel less like an oddity when I lined up at the race start line on July 14, but it didn't. Still, there were definite benefits. I had awoken early to the sound of rain outside. That's usually a cause for grumpiness on race morning, but on this day, the outside weather made no difference to me. There would be constant music, and eight aid stations and bathrooms per mile. I'd get to see all the participants, and I would, for the first time, have a chance to see the winner cross the tape in a marathon I was running.

Still, I was concerned about how organizers would keep track of the runners. I needn't have worried. Runners were assigned bibs with transponders on the back, which we were to wear on our left hip. These would register on each lap with four antennas positioned facing outward from the track infield. Volunteers would also manually tracker each runner's progress.

The school itself was set up well for a race, since there were a surprising number of available distractions. On the interior of the track were basketball courts and a mini tennis court, and tucked in at the corners were a weight training room and a spinning studio. Along one side were bleachers, where spectators -- and yes, there were some -- sat and cheered as runners passed the scoring table.

Despite the unusual setting, the race start was reassuringly familiar. There was the usual last-minute jitteriness among participants. There were race announcements and the national anthem. And then, finally, we heard the traditional call to run and countdown, and we were off.

We jockeyed for position on the first few laps as the field spread out and everyone fell into their pace. There were about 36 runners, including a joggler, Barry Goldmeier, who juggled five balls while running, and a man wearing a kilt. Surprisingly, a number of runners had traveled to the race from locations outside the Beltway, including New York and the Carolinas.

As the race wore on, I realized that it not really as different from road marathons as I had expected. Sure, there was less variety to look at, despite all the other activity going on in the gym, but much of the usual interior race experience was the same. The first half hour or so brought complaints from my body as I warmed to the task, followed by easy middle miles when I wondered about setting a new PR, capped by flagging energy and focus as I struggled to literally keep on track as I neared the end.

Michael Wardian won, as expected, though not with a new world record, as the organizers had hoped for. I came in well behind him, though in the top third of the group.

Afterwards, I tried organizing my thoughts about this race as I drove home. Despite the professionalism of the production, it still felt like a bit of a lark to me. My legs, stiff and sore as they were, clearly told me that it was a true marathon, and that I deserved the finisher's belt buckle award that I received.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Would I do it again myself? We'll see.

Note: Michael Wardian later dedicated his victory to his friend and inspiration, fellow North Face athlete Yan Dongdong, who died on July 10, 2012 while on a climbing expedition in China

Full results are posted on racepacket.com