Wake Up Call
By Judy Morrison
Hey girls, did you know that for a guy of your age to beat you in a marathon
he must beat you by twenty minutes! And in a half marathon it is ten minutes and in a
10k it is at least three minutes.
Really, this is so. The Boston Marathon gives men and women of the same age
qualifying times that vary by thirty minutes. I feel that thirty might be somewhat
excessive but do believe twenty is realistic. Check the finishing times of a few marathons
and subtract the time difference between the winning female and the winning male.
Twenty minutes is a valid number.
I feel this is information that every runner, either male or female, should know.
I’m tired of hearing about the super feats of various men when I know a number of women who
perform the same tasks at a female level of capability. Women must start to recognize that
they have 30% less muscle and cannot possibly perform at the same level as men.
So, the
next time some girl tells you she ran a 3h40m marathon subtract 20 minutes and put her
up on a pedestal. Also, start telling all those super human stories about the girls you
know and about yourself and maybe soon the guys will tell some of the same stories, too.
And the next time some guy tells you his marathon time add on 20 minutes. Believe me when
I say your reaction will be considerably diminished. Girls have to work on their image.
Give yourselves credit and ‘talk it up’. Women don’t have to actually beat men before they
have truly beaten them.
And why am I writing this. I have been hearing too many ‘super male’ stories
lately. Guys, get a grip. It is not a level playing field and females deserve a lot more
credit.
Anyway, that’s my editorial statement for the month. I suspect that it will
generate a lot of animated discussion in running groups all over town…and necessarily so.
Gord - Women in Motion
Page revised April 16.2006