What do the words marathon, paisley, and bikini have in common? They’re all words that derive from the names of places. Martha and Grant talk about these and other toponyms. This is part of a complete episode.
roller n.— «I reined in the speedy pace and tried to find a rhythm over the first three miles, where we encountered “rollers”—in running parlance, those are mellow hills with ups and downs that wake up your legs, but aren’t so...
gun time n.— «A similar issue arose at the Chicago Marathon two weeks ago, when Wesley Korir of Kenya finished fourth, despite starting five minutes after the elite runners. Like O’Connell, his time was clear because of the electronic...
marathonitis n.— «“Marathonitis” is the term used to describe the litany of gruesome and painful injuries affecting long-distance runners.» —“London Marathon: The road to recovery” by Catherine...
alleycat n.— «The Staten Island Invasion was a type of race known as an “alleycat,” a high-speed scavenger hunt that has become popular among messengers and bike enthusiasts around the country. Alleycats are like marathons for the anti...
joggle v.— «The world’s two fastest marathon “jogglers”—will face off in an epic battle for a new Guinness World Record at this year’s Boston Marathon on Monday, April 17. Kapral, 33, senior editor at the Toronto office of Westford, Mass...