Marathon

American distance runners have gone to great lengths to find the magic formula for success.

Former Stanford star Ryan Hall has gone to Redding, Calif., to join a faith-healing church.

America's best marathoner changed ZIP codes just months before the U.S. Olympic trials Saturday in Houston because he decided he doesn't need a coach as much as conviction in what he believes.

"It's pretty cool to be on the starting line and think the guy who is my guiding coach is the creator of the universe," Hall said. "It's pretty cool to wake up every morning and talk to him about training."

PHILADELPHIA -- Two runners collapsed and died near the finish of Sunday morning's Philadelphia Marathon.

LONDON -- Rob Sloan boasted he'd completed an "unbelievably tough" marathon near Newcastle after crossing the finish line in third place with a personal-best time.

Apparently, he didn't count the bus ride.

Sloan dropped out 20 miles into the race, hitched a ride on a spectator shuttle bus and emerged from the woods near the finish line to make the podium.

After Sloan initially described as "laughable" claims he cheated in the Kielder Marathon on Sunday, the 31-year-old former army mechanic admitted his transgression following an investigation by organizers.

World's highest mountain? Easy. World's fastest man? Easy, too. The world record for female marathon running? That, too, used to be a cinch until the bright sparks who oversee track and field delivered a slap against women everywhere by invalidating their records set when they run marathons alongside men.

The not-so-subtle message is that women cannot complete 26.2 miles as quickly alone as they can when they have a helping hand from the guys.

NEW YORK -- Fast or slow, everyone in this race was wearing No. 1.

And that's not all the 150 or so runners in the Memorial Day Marathon in New York City's Van Cortlandt Park had in common. They also were running for free and far from the Big Apple's crowded streets.

"This is more of a community event," said David White, a 41-year-old runner from Manhattan. "It's just a small-town kind of thing. This is the love-of-running type thing."

OGDEN — The 2011 Zions Bank Ogden Marathon gave Eddie Jordan a real buzz. The South Ogden resident ran the entire 26.2 miles dressed as a bee, including antennae and yellow sunglasses.