I was only slightly interested while flipping through a book about running until I saw two races that very much appealed to me.
The Fat Ass 5K Run in Springfield, Ill., and the Mullet Haul Trail Run in Columbia, S.C.
Those are the actual names of the events. Participants in the first race must stop for either beer, ice cream, and doughnuts while runners in the second event are encouraged to wear 1980s style haircuts like Billy Ray Cyrus or Joe Dirt (David Spade). Both adventures are listed in a book by Denise Malan, a running enthusiast and University of Arkansas graduate.
Malan was back on campus Friday to sign copies of The Runner's Bucket List: 200 Races To Run Before You Die. She's run somewhere between 15 and 20 of the races, but is hopeful to do more.
"If money were no object, I'd pick one of the international races," said Malan, who graduated from Arkansas in 2003 with a double major in journalism and physics. "There's two marathons in Antarctica, but I think the ultimate would be the Athens Marathon in Greece. It's the original route where Pheidippides, the messenger, who legend says, died after delivering word of a great victory. The marathon ends at the original Olympic Stadium, which would be an amazing experience for any runner."
Malan is a serious runner but her book is filled with quirky and unusual running events that appeals to anyone who enjoys the outdoors. There are 25 chapters in the book, divided by themes rather than states or countries. The races in Antarctica, for instances, are listed in the chapter about braving the elements.
"Some people take running so seriously with the training and preparation that goes into it," Malan said. "By then, the race becomes a slog. But there are races that gives you something to look forward to and can be a really good time. That's the whole idea behind the book."
Running was not a hobby for Malan while she was at Arkansas which, ironically, is home to the top track and field program in the country. She entered her first race in 2008 after a dare from a friend while working at a newspaper in Corpus Christi, Texas.
"I would have done anything possible to avoid running while I was in college, unless something was chasing me," Malan said. "I did my first race because I was trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. It took me about 40 minutes to run a 5K and there were so few people in it, I got a medal. I felt like I was going to die afterward, but I also felt like I had really accomplished something. I signed up for a 5K the following weekend and it took me 36 minutes."
Malan, 33, participated in some more races before her journalist instincts kicked in and she decided to write a book. She sent her book proposal to three publishers and one of them accepted the idea.
"The first race that stuck out to me was one that my grandparents told me about in Kansas City," said Malan, who now works in Kansas City as the director for a data service for investigative reporters. "It's called the Groundhog Run and it's a 5K and 10K completely underground in an old limestone cave. It's like a little city underground now with signs, roads, and lights. I thought there has to be races like that everywhere that are quirky or unique."
Malan talked to runners and race organizers to help complete the book. But she's always planning for the next big adventure, where she can run the course herself.
So, what's next?
Running while dragging a burro along in Colorado? Or, maybe sweating it out at the Hotter Than Hell Marathon in New Orleans?
"There's really a unique run in the tiny town of Iola, Kansas," Malan said. "There was a crazy prohibitionist who, in 1905, bombed three bars. No one died or was seriously injured. But the town commemorates the whole thing with a race in the middle of the night, starting at 12:26 a.m. when the bombings occurred. It's a super unique event."
Malan's book is 328 pages with a lot of color illustrations and sells for $16.95.
RICK FIRES IS A SPORTSWRITER FOR NWA MEDIA
Sports on 04/13/2014