At Mathematical Runner, we hope to find, explore, and publish articles about numbers that relate to running.
Running is full of numbers: times, distances, paces, weights, ages, well-measured scientific correlates, and more. It has lots of record performances, from Roger Bannister’s forever-famous 3:59.4 to Paula Radcliffe’s 2:15:25 to Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:00:25 to Libby James’s 1:45:52 half marathon at age 76 (wow!) It makes us wonder about things: Who is the youngest ever to break 4 minutes in the mile, and the oldest? How do race times change with high and low temperatures? Why does doubling the race distance from 1 to 2 miles affect pace relatively more than from 13.1 to 26.2 miles?
We also wonder: How many beers does the typical runner burn in the course of a marathon? How far would all the running shoes worn out in a single year reach, if you lined them up heel-to-toe? What is the optimal portapotty-to-runner ratio, taking into consideration cost, male to female ratio, typical usage (another number), and outdoor temperature?
These are just a few of the things that we think can be fun to think about, and fun to read about.
We need your help; we want you to contribute. You don’t have to write with the rigor demanded by journals. Just tell us about the numbers that fascinate you, and include a reference or two. Find out more on our Submissions page.
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Mathematical Runner was founded by Amby Burfoot and Ray Charbonneau. Amby is best known as the 1968 Boston Marathon winner and a longtime editor-writer at Runner’s World magazine. Ray is the author of five books on running. He has run more than thirty marathons and ultramarathons without winning a single one, but there’s always tomorrow.
