‘Tis the season to be racing. Both the New York Marathon (Nov. 1) and the Boston Half-Marathon (Oct. 11) loom near, as does the “Vermont 50 MT Bike or Ultra-Run” (Sept. 27), whose Web site describes it as “50 miles of beautiful, but challenging Vermont back roads and trails.” One would like to know more about the challenges, but it's at least more inviting than the promo for the already finished Pikes Peak Marathon (Aug. 16), which depicts its runners as “zombies” and their uphill climb as a “death march right out of a scene from ‘Dawn of the Dead.’” Think I’ll stay home and rent the DVD!

For the rest of us, however, there was the Newstead 5k (Sept. 26), a race that offers a gently undulating course, crisp fall weather, and a worthy cause to support (SOMEF). Also, since the 5k distance (approximately three miles) is more manageable than most, Newstead runners come from a variety of backgrounds and fitness levels. This year’s diverse group included kids of all ages, a Hollywood celebrity, and even, it was rumored, several non-subscribers to “Runner’s World.” In fact, the number of kids in the race was so inspiring that at the last minute my 10-year-old son decided to register. (I won’t reveal which of us did better.) On the other hand, those worried that assorted joints and hips might give out mid-race were reassured by the presence of the South Orange Rescue Squad.

The Newstead is a fast course. There aren't any mile-markers (as far as I can tell), so you can’t know how far you have come and how much you have left to go. Eventually, you stop trying to guess, and this leads to a certain peace of mind, known as the “weekend runner’s high.” Even if your time does not improve, it goes by faster than it does in other races.

I set out from South Mountain Annex at around 9 a.m., and before I knew it, I was passing by the Annex again as the tune of “Eye of the Tiger” blared from a loudspeaker. I then rounded another bend, and people were waving me in with cries of “You’re almost there! Keep going!” OK, so their optimism proved somewhat premature, but their hearts were in the right place, and, when I did finally reach the chute at the end and got to hand over the bottom part of my race tag, I was not swearing “Never again!” or  reciting the 23rd psalm as is sometimes my wont at these events. (Once, I’m told, a series of loud hallelujahs was involved.)

In truth, we 5kers have nothing to be ashamed of. After all, the 26.2-mile length of a marathon is an arbitrary one, which comes from the distance that a fifth-century Greek messenger is supposed to have run to Athens to announce the defeat of an invading Persian army. Upon delivering his news, the messenger then collapsed and died. But much of this is an accident of history. The battle could easily have been fought three miles from Athens, meaning that the messenger would not have had to run so far. The course of the sport would then have been changed forever. Think about it: the New York Marathon would be a couple of laps in Central Park, and the Newstead would probably be reborn as a South Mountain Peak event.

Historically, of course, there would have been trade-offs. If the battle had been only three miles away, Athens would have been in much more danger. The Persians might even have won. But at least the runner would have survived to race again.