Rich and Mark have had fun with our ongoing webathon, going back-and-forth about college football. But I’m not much of a football man. My heart (and lungs, and hamstrings, and quads . . . ) is in long-distance running. “My sport is your sport’s punishment” reads at least one of the race shirts I’ve accumulated over the years. “No half times, no time outs, no substitutions: It must be the only true sport” is another one of the cheesy (yet true) quotes I’ve seen circulated about this insane pastime.
Indeed, as our webathon approaches its finish line, I can’t help but to think of one of the most famous – and most ridiculous – examples of distance-running prowess in the history of the sport: the 1982 Boston Marathon. Famously chronicled in John Brant’s Duel in the Sun, that year’s race was a 26.2-mile battle between Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley. Salazar, already famous nationwide for his running feats, was the favorite. But Beardsley was dogged. Both persisted through unfavorable conditions and setbacks for themselves. The outcome was in doubt until the very end, when Salazar edged out Beardsley by two seconds. Imagine that: 42,000 meters, and a race ends up being decided by approximately nine of them.
Forty years ago, only one of those two could win. (And both were severely weakened by the effort.) But today, those who give to our latest NR webathon can all win, and NR can only get stronger. If you’ve enjoyed our coverage of abortion, of the transgender assault on reality; if you’ve cottoned to our affirmation of America’s founding principles, of the heritage of Western civilization – please consider giving to our webathon. Salazar and Beardsley ran alone against each other that day, but we’ve always run our race with our readers alongside. We wouldn’t have it any other way, and remain grateful for your support – which, as a reminder, will be matched by a generous donor up to $100,000.
