Reed Albergotti explains How to Win a Marathon using online research:
As competitive amateur athletics explode, a new form of gamesmanship is emerging. Millions of people can now say they’ve run a marathon or a triathlon, but how many people can say they’ve won one? In the past, that hasn’t been easy for weekend warriors who work long hours at the office and lack six-pack abs. Now, some are trying to gain an edge by finding where the fast racers aren’t. Instead of training harder, they’re spending hours online to scout out the field, and they’re driving hundreds of miles to race against thin competition in out-of-the-way places.
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New Web sites closely track results of thousands of races, down to local 5-kilometer charity runs. Athletes are using this information to find out how tough the competition is likely to be in a race based on previous years. The sites also keep tabs on amateur athletes in ever-greater detail, from the names of racers and their past performances to the fastest people of a certain age in a particular ZIP Code. This makes it easier than ever to find out how you stack up against your neighbors.