Duke City Marathon

The Duke City Marathon is October 23rd!  Are you ready to run?  There are many levels of participation open to you: the Marathon (be an overall winner, a masters winner, or win for your age group); the Marathon Relay; the Half Marathon Run; & the 10K & 5K Runs.  For those of us unable to run, there is also a 20K Walk & a 5K Walk.  Or, participate in the Miracle Mile, coordinated specifically to celebrate the lives of cancer survivors and the lives of loved ones who have lost their battle to cancer.

Here are the registration deadlines:

Saturday, October 15 (postmarked) - to register through the mail

Sunday, October 16 - to register in any Big 5 outside of Albuquerque

Wednesday, October 19 - to register at Big 5 or Defined Fitness locations in Albuquerque or Rio Rancho

Wednesday, October 19 at NOON - to register via fax (and still get the early registration fees)

Wednesday, October 19 at NOON - to register online (and still get the early registration fees)

Friday, October 21 at 11:59 pm - to register online (final online registration – late fees apply)

Saturday, October 22 at FitFest: Powered by Defined Fitness (the DCM health expo) at the ABQ Convention Center from 9:00am – 6:00pm

There is a Marathon Training Guide (requires Adobe Acrobat) on the website; however, be aware that this is a 12-week program.  If you have not been training, we don't recommend trying to run the marathon.

There will be a Post-Race Festival Downtown! The Post Race Festival will feature live entertainment with a performance by entertainers on Civic Plaza Main Stage, awards ceremonies, refreshments for participants, vendors, exhibits and breakfast food served by Blake’s Lotaburger.

If you are interested, there are also volunteer opportunities listed on the website!  You can also see a list of FAQs.

Here's a list of some of the favorite running books of library staff:

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen by Chris McDougall

What I Talk about When I Talk about Running by Haruki Murakami

Barefoot Running Step by Step: Barefoot Ken Bob, the Guru of Shoeless Running, Shares his Personal Technique for Running with More Speed, Less Impact, Fewer Leg injuries, and More Fun by Ken Bob Saxton

The Complete Book of Running by James F. Fixx

Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running : The Best Advice to Get Started, Stay Motivated, Lose Weight, Run Injury-Free, Be Safe, and Train for Any Distance by Dagny Scott
Galloway's Book on Running by Jeff Galloway

Runner's World Complete Book of Beginning Running by Amby Burfoot

No Need for Speed : A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running by John "The Penguin" Bingham.

Run for Life: The Anti-Aging, Anti-Injury, Super-Fitness Plan to Keep you Running to 100 by Roy M. Wallack

ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running by Danny Dreyer with Katherine Dreyer

Also, consider watching:

My Run
After losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise his children, real-life superhero and modern-day Forrest Gump Terry Hitchcock had an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible by running 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families.

Ultramarathon Man
Features renowned endurance athlete and best selling author Dean Karnazes, in his attempt to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days to raise awareness for youth obesity and to get America active.

Spirit of the Marathon
A look at the Chicago Marathon, which stretches 26.2 miles, and the runners who participate from all walks of life, each with their own story.