Test Your Running Knowledge With These 15 Fun Facts

So you think you know a lot about running? Test your knowledge over the following pages and see how much you really know. A few of the answers may surprise you!

1.Which A-list Hollywood actor says he likes to run barefoot?

A. Jake Gyllenhaal.

2. Which famous American runner has said her favorite indulgence is “blond brownies as big as my face”?

A. Kara Goucher.

3.How many more calories will you burn in a marathon if you average 8 minutes per mile compared to 9 minutes per mile?

A. Zero. It takes the same number of calories to run any given distance at a certain body weight regardless of pace.

4. What did Alberto Salazar drink on his way to winning the 1982 Boston Marathon with a course-record time of 2:08:52 in 70-degree heat?

A. Nothing.

5.Which competitor.com blogger has won 19 national championships as a professional despite winning none in high school or college?

A. Deena Kastor.

6. What was the distance of the first Olympic Marathon, held in Athens in 1896?

A. 40 kilometers (24.8 miles).

7. What is the average men’s finishing time in all U.S. marathons?

A. 4:24:17

8. What is the average women’s finishing time in all U.S. marathons?

A. 4:52:31

9. Which five marathons are known as the World Marathon Majors?

A. Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, and New York.

10.What is 4-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers favorite pizza topping?

A: Mayonnaise.

11. How fast did Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein run for 2 miles as an eighth-grader?

A: 10:24

12. What was Josh Cox’s marathon split en route to his U.S. 50K record of 2:43:45 this past January?

A: 2:17:32

13. What is ultra running star Scott Jurek’s marathon personal best?

A: 2:38:25

14. What is the longest distance Shalane Flanagan has ever covered in a single training run?

A: 28 miles

15. Who has a better personal best in the marathon, Oprah Winfrey or Sean “P.Diddy” Combs?

A: P.Diddy, 4:14:54 to Oprah’s 4:29:20