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    Popp Culture

    Let's play marathon trivia: What do Oprah, W, and Will Ferrell have in common?

    Steve Popp
    Jan 16, 2010 | 12:00 am
    • Will Ferrell was on a wild streak in "Old School"; he ran fully clothed in theBoston marathon
    • Oprah set the "Oprah line" for others to toe.
      Photo by Albert Ortega
    • Former president George W. Bush clearly beat Al Gore when it came to marathontimes.
      Photo by Darren McCollester/Newmakers
    • P Diddy raised some $2 million dollars for charity when he ran a marathon.

    When I ran the Boston Marathon in 2007, I made sure I beat Will Ferrell’s time. The actor known for streaking in the movie Old School ran the same course, fully clothed mind you, in 3:56:12. I also had a better time than a guy dressed as a dairy cow that day.

    So for those of you running the Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday, here are some other famous time benchmarks:

    • Oprah Winfrey ran a 4:29:15, thereby setting the “Oprah line.”

     • P Diddy ran the New York Marathon in 4:14:54 and raised some $2 million dollars for charity.

    • Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong ran his first marathon in 2:59:36 in 2006. That’s just ridiculous. If that wasn’t enough, for his second marathon in 2007, Armstrong shaved 13 minutes off his time to finish in 2:46:43. Again, ridiculous.

    • Former President George W. Bush ran a not-too-shabby 3:44:52 in 1993. Former Vice President Al Gore finished behind Bush not only in 2000, but also in a marathon. He ran a 4:58 in 1988.

    • Sarah Palin ran a marathon in 2005 and, unlike her uncompleted term as governor, she actually finished the race in 3:59:36.
     
    If you are thinking you may not beat Oprah’s time tomorrow, whatever you do, don’t pull a Rosie Ruiz. Incredibly, in the 1979 New York City Marathon Ruiz hopped the subway after mile 10 and rode it to Columbus Circle. There she disembarked just in time to stroll through Central Park to finish in 24th place. Not wanting to settle for such a pedestrian finish, she upped her game when she ran Boston the following spring. She bypassed much of the course and shockingly came in first. Since no one saw her on the course, she was exposed as a fraud.

    Here are some other marathon tidbits:

     Keep up the Pace

    At the Houston Marathon last year, both the men’s champ, Deriba Merga, and the women’s champ, Teyba Erkesso, set course records. Their times were 2:07:52 and 2:24:18, respectively. For those of you playing at home, a recent New York Times article put that pace in perspective. To get a feel of what it is like to run like an elite marathoner, the article suggested you go to your gym, get on a treadmill and crank it to the max of 12 miles per hour. Run one mile, and then repeat 25 more times. That’s a five-minute mile pace and that’ll put you probably in the top 10. Good luck with that.

    Not everyone can be an elite, of course. And it turns out, according to a 2008 study by Running USA, more and more people don’t care if they’re not elite. They’re just glad to be running. The study found that more runners are taking on the 26.2-mile distance but they’re doing it at a slower pace. Around 425,000 people participated in a marathon, up from 143,000 people in 1980. But “in 1980, the median finishing time for male runners in United States marathons was 3 hours, 32 minutes, 17 seconds, a pace of about eight minutes per mile. In 2008, the median finishing time was 4:16, a pace of 9:46. For women, that time in 1980 was 4:03:39. Last year, it was 4:43:32.”

     We’re all “Born to Run,” but it’s not without risks

      

    Despite the increase in the sport of marathons, many people still believe there is no way they would ever run one. They might be convinced otherwise if they read Born to Run by Christopher McDermott. This fascinating look at the Tamahumara Indians of northern Mexico, who run pretty much barefoot through some of the most rugged terrain on Earth, asserts that our bodies were meant to run. If you don’t want to read the whole book, you can read a synopsis of it here.

     Famous Marathon Moments

    My good friend Dave Holliday, a 2:35 marathoner and running enthusiast, reminded me of the following defining marathon moments:

    • 1982 Boston Marathon: For two-plus hours of neck-and-neck running, the famous "Duel in the Sun" between Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley ranks as one of the most impressive in marathon history. Salazar edged Beardsley by a mere two seconds.
    • 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials: Runner Bob Kempainen threw up six times from mile 22 to the finish en route to winning the race. And he didn’t break stride.
    • The 1960 and 1964 Olympics: Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia became the first East African runner to win the Olympic marathon in 1960, and he did it in bare feet. He donned shoes in '64, and won the gold that year as well.
    • 1984 Olympics: American Joan Benoit won the first women’s marathon at the Olympics in 1984. She did it after doing much of her training in a pool due to an injury.

    We wish you the best of luck, runners. And remember, the pride lasts longer than the pain.

    unspecified
    news/city-life

    This Week's Hot Headlines

    Houston restaurant serves Beyoncé a Southern feast and more top stories

    CultureMap Staff
    Jul 5, 2025 | 10:32 am
    Taste Bar Kitchen Jay Z Don Bowie
    Courtesy of Taste Kitchen + Bar
    Legendary rapper Jay-Z with Taste Kitchen + Bar chef-owner Don Bowie.

    Editor's note: t's time to look back at the hottest Houston news of the week, starting with a Southern feast fit for Queen Bey. Plus, new bar openings from some big names. Get the details on our most popular stories below, then head to this guide for 4th of July weekend fun.

    1. Houston restaurant served Beyoncé a Southern feast for her first meal in H-Town. One of Houston’s most prominent Black-owned restaurants gave Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and her family their first taste of the Bayou City. On June 27, the party ordered an extensive spread from Taste Kitchen + Bar, the restaurant in downtown known for its chicken and waffles and other Southern-inspired fare.

    2. Exclusive: New cocktail bar from Houston hospitality stars coming to the Heights. The Heights’ growing bar scene will soon welcome a new addition with serious cocktail cred. Anvil owner Bobby Heugel has partnered with bartender Jacki Schromm to open a new cocktail bar in the former Ready Room space.

    3. Country star Koe Wetzel opens new location of his lively bar in Houston. One of Texas country’s rising stars has brought his lively bar to Houston. Koe Wetzel's Riot Room opened in Midtown in June.

     Koe Wetzel Riot Room Houston The pickup truck on the front of the building makes it easy to spot.  Photo by Motion Theory Media  

    4. Houston will have vivid sunsets and air quality issues from Saharan dust. An annual meteorological phenomenon has blown in to make Houston's sunsets a little more spectacular. A huge Sahara Desert dust cloud made its way to the Houston area on June 29, bringing hazy skies. The bad news is that air quality might worsen; the good news is that locals can expect a week of Technicolor twilights.

    5. Houston CEO's art-filled River Oaks mansion listed at $6.2 million. Art lovers seeking a home that’s a perfect showcase for their collection will be very interested in 1069 Kirby Drive, currently on the market for $6.2 million. The home is owned by Pete Bell, the CEO of Cotton Holdings.

    most popular storiesbeyoncethe heightsanvilkoe wetzelopeningshome-for-salecelebritieshot-headlines
    news/city-life
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