White Rock Run Gets Colossal

And he's done it despite a serious detour of the running boom.

Evidenced by Sunday's sellout, putting one sneaker in front of the other remains popular. There were a record 30,000 runners in the annual Turkey Trot and 16 races scheduled in and around Dallas during the first nine days of December. But whether it's the social aspect, self-preservation or the fact that entering a 10K is cheaper than liposuction, women are suddenly gaining on men.

The gap between the women's and men's Rock winner in 1998 was 44 minutes. Last year, the margin was down to 17 minutes. Though they likely wouldn't recognize Frank Shorter from Bill Rodgers from Rosie Ruiz, women are flooding Run On! and the streets of Dallas.

"Racing is down," explains Wallace, "but running is up."

I ran The Rock on December 1, 1991. An admitted but cocksure novice, I brought into the race a plain cotton T-shirt and a longest training run of 16 miles. Around mile 22 my rubbed-raw nipples were bleeding, and my feet felt as cold and angry as Hitler's heart. Four miles later, I finished. Over the next two days—sitting motionless in a hot bathtub—I realized The Rock had likewise finished me.

It remains one of the best memories of my life.

"If you haven't run a marathon," Wallace says, "you just can't explain the feeling."

As if that empowerment of personal achievement weren't motivation enough, The Rock is now also chic. It's matured beyond a sweaty run into a see-and-be-seen scene adorned by lean-bodied women, hip musical backbeats and exclusive, velvet-roped membership. So put down your appletinis and get in shape for next year, Dallas.

Before it's too late.