Clydesdales Are A Growing Weight Class

Bigger runners have their reasons to race, too.

Take a look at the top runners across the finish line at any road race and the similarities in body type are striking: rail thin whippets with nary an extra ounce of excess body weight on their frail frames.

Bigger runners finishing in the middle or back of the pack are becoming more and more popular, however, and many races are now offering prizes for the weightier runners who thrive on competition.

“As a Clydesdale, you know you’re never going to win a race,” says Jeffrey West, a 6-foot-3- inch, 245 pounder who has run nine marathons and whose best time is 4 hours 51 minutes. “But can I compare myself to another 45-year-old runner who weighs 145 pounds? Not really.”

Paul Collyer, race promotor and founder of USA Clydesdale and Filly Racing Federation, says the bigger weight classes are becoming more and more popular amongst the running masses.

“Now a lot of big fit guys and big fit women are taking part,” said  Collyer.

For More: New York Times