Dallas, TX
The city shrinks when I’m running
This Sunday, thousands of runners will lace up their shoes and toe the starting line for the BMW Dallas Marathon. For athletes ambitious enough to take on the 26.2-mile feat, the race starts at Dallas City Hall Plaza. Runners will make their way through Uptown and Highland Park, go around White Rock Lake and circle back to finish downtown.
At the end of November, I ran my first marathon in Philadelphia. Enough time has passed that I can walk down the stairs normally again, but I still have the black and blue toenails to prove my achievement.
Shortly after moving to Dallas this summer, I signed up for the race. Running has become my way of learning the city and getting to know the nooks and crannies that weave through each neighborhood. When I’m running, the city starts to shrink. Neighborhoods that once felt far away from one another are suddenly connected, and with every mile covered on foot, the city feels a little more familiar.
Since I joined my local YMCA track team in third grade, I’ve never stopped running. From high school cross country races to joining my college’s club running team and running a half marathon this past spring, I’ve run a lot of miles over the years. A marathon was the final race on my list, and it seems I’m not the only one.
Jason Schuchard, president of the BMW Dallas Marathon, said this year, over 5,000 runners are registered for the full marathon. Registration opened May 1 and the race was already sold out in August, the earliest sell-out date in the race’s 54 years.
Why is there a growing interest in running marathons?
Gen Z runners
More young runners are signing up for races, pinning on a bib and crossing the finish line.
According to Strava, a social media app where athletes can track runs and other workouts, there was a 33% increase in Gen Z runners recording a marathon race on the app this year compared with 2024.
In an era where traditional markers of success — buying a house, getting married or having kids — are becoming more out of reach, training for a race seems like an attainable goal and something that young people can set their sights on.
An increase in running clubs in part fuels the running craze. These groups host community runs that attract large numbers of runners.
The number of running clubs registered on Strava more than tripled this year.
Dallas is home to its own run clubs, many of which have gained popularity on social media. I structured my training around these weekly meet-ups, dashing around town with Pegasus Run Club’s marathon crew, trading training tips with Oak Cliff Run Crew, and chatting with newbie runners training for their first 5k and ex-cross country kids at Kairos Run Club.
Run clubs are good places to meet other people who also enjoy the “runner’s high,” and it’s encouraging to see so many showing up to run in their communities.
This year, the Dallas Marathon is partnering with about 10 run clubs in the area. Schuchard said the clubs help provide exposure for the race, volunteer to lead pace groups for the half and full marathons and organize cheer zones on the course.
On your own
While running clubs are a fun way to find community, a lot of my training was OYO (on your own, as my high school coach used to note on our training plan). I’ve logged hundreds of miles on the Katy Trail, weaving between dog walkers, rollerbladers and college kids clad in Lululemon.
Every Saturday morning, I drove out to White Rock Lake for my long run. The 9-mile loop is the place in Dallas to do a weekly long run, the pinnacle of marathon training. While specific training plans vary, building mileage each week during a longer run to simulate race day conditions is key to success.
In the early morning, the paved path around the lake is filled with cyclists and runners adorned with water belts. The discarded packets of energy gels littering the pavement are proof that there are a lot of people training for races. There’s something comforting about being surrounded by others who also find it enjoyable to spend a good portion of their weekend running.
In July, I slogged through the miles in the heat. I could barely finish eight miles, not even a full loop around the lake, without walking. A few weeks ago, I set out for 20 miles, the longest run I would do before race day. That’s a little more than two loops around White Rock Lake, something that was unthinkable at the beginning of the summer.
One of my training runs took me from my apartment near the Katy Trail to Southern Methodist University, over to White Rock Lake and then on the Santa Fe Trail passing by Fair Park and weaving through Deep Ellum.
Even though I started the run at 6 a.m. in the dark, by the time I got to Fair Park and my watch chimed to let me know I had reached 13 miles, just a few more to go, the temperature was already climbing close to 90 degrees. Training in the Texas heat is no joke, but it paid off in Philadelphia. The crisp mid-30s temps I was greeted with on race day were a welcome relief after months of running under the Texas sun.
On social media, runners in matching race day kits with colorful shoes set off for 26.2 miles. Some opt for special shoes with carbon-fiber plates that provide an extra boost with each stride, vests with pockets designed to hold energy gels, electrolytes and water, watches to calculate your pace and even minty balms to soothe the pain that comes with running for hours.
But you don’t need high-tech gear to be a runner. The magic of a marathon is all the training and preparation that happen months before you arrive at the starting line. The race is the final victory lap.
For those running the marathon this Sunday, take it all in. Pause your music to listen to the roar of the crowd as you turn into the final stretch. Take an orange slice from a spectator at mile 21 when you feel like your legs can’t move anymore. High-five the “Tap here to power up” sign and don’t forget to smile when you cross the finish line — you paid to do this!
Caroline Collins is editorial fellow for The Dallas Morning News.
The search for the next general manager or president of basketball operations of the Dallas Mavericks has begun. They terminated Nico Harrison in November, which was about nine months too late, and gave any available candidates clear notice that they were open for business.
The plan was always to wait until after the season to start the search. While names popped up as the season reached an end, they didn’t begin turning over the staff until the Monday after the season ended. However, Dallas Mavericks fans are not going to like how the team is going about the search.
Patrick Dumont Leading Search for General Manager
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Mavericks are not hiring a search firm in their hunt for a new lead executive. Instead, team governor Patrick Dumont is “acting as his own point person.”
This is an… interesting decision, to say the least. Dumont is not a basketball person whatsoever, and most organizations usually hire a search firm. The Chicago Bulls hired one as they look for their replacement for Arturas Karnisovas. Just because a firm is hired doesn’t mean a team will listen, though.
The Mavericks hired a firm in their last search for a GM. They let Donnie Nelson go in 2021 after a long tenure with the Mavs. Instead of listening to the firm, though, Mark Cuban ignored it to hire Nico Harrison, who had no previous NBA front office experience. Harrison had been an executive with Nike, which gave him connections with players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and plenty of others.
For a while, that seemed to be working out okay. While he still had some questionable transactions, such as trading for Christian Wood and letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency, they were still able to make a run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Then, he blew it all up, trading away Luka Doncic for an older and injured Anthony Davis, and the team hasn’t been the same since.
It’s imperative that the Mavericks get this hire correct. The interim Co-GM setup with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley has performed admirably, but the 2026 NBA Draft is important for the Mavs to get right. It’s their best chance to pair Cooper Flagg with another young star, as they don’t own their first-round pick again until 2031 after this.
Hiring the right GM could help bring in more draft capital by bringing in bad contracts or flipping veterans into picks.
Dumont was able to convince Rick Welts, a Hall of Famer, to come out of retirement to be the CEO and lead the charge for a new arena. Maybe Dumont pulls another rabbit out of his hat for the GM.
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For a moment, it looked like FC Dallas was on its way to another statement win at home tonight.
Petar Musa scored two first half goals, to extend his Golden Boot leading tally to nine goals. But after Dallas grabbed control, the Galaxy found a way back before halftime with goals from Lucas Sanabria and Joseph Paintsil.
The second half brought more chances and more frustration for Dallas, which finished the night with 13 shots to LA’s nine. In the end, the point stretched Dallas’ unbeaten run to five games, though just like last week, it felt like another match where Dallas left points on the table.
Key Moments
7’ – GOAL! After a poor pass back by a LA defender, Petar Musa was free to go one-on-one with the LA goalkeeper. After a touch to get ahead of a defender, Musa slotted home his eighth goal of the season from outside the penalty box.
21’ – Offside! Joaquin Valiente sent a floating ball over the Galaxy defense, where Musa was able to get behind the defense and make an easy play for what appeared to be his second goal of the night. The play was called offside despite a fairly lengthy review period.
38’ – GOAL! This one counts! Musa gets his second of the night off a great ball from Chris Cappis. Logan Farrington picked off the ball in the midfield. He then played Cappis wide to the left of the penalty area. Cappis immediately played a ball back across the goal for Musa to slide in and finish for his ninth of the season.
43’ – Goal LA. Lucas Sanabria got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He took a couple of touches to get outside the penalty box before firing a shot that beat Michael Collodi at the near post.
45+4’ – Goal LA. Gabriel Pec got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He pulled the ball back a bit, which caught a pair of Dallas defenders. This allowed Joseph Painstil to get free behind the Dallas defense as Pec played him through inside the penalty area. Pec immediately smashed home a shot above Collodi to tie the game.
75’ – Another offside goal. This time on a corner kick for Dallas, after a scrum in the penalty box, Kaick hammered home what looked to be the go-ahead goal. But after a few seconds the flag was raised due to a deflection on Osaze Urhoghide, who was in an offside position.
Instant Reaction
Yeah, this is another disappointing result for this team. In a real way, it felt like the first half against Houston from last month. Dallas grabbed the lead, looked in control, but some defensive miscues opened the game up for the visitors to climb back.
With a double-game week coming up, this will certainly be another game where Dallas will wonder ‘what if’ more than anything else…especially when you factor in the two goals called off for offside.
About the Subs
Eric Quill went to his bench for the first time in the 66th minute, as he brought on Santiago Moreno for Logan Farrington. Quill went to his bench again 81st minute with Ran Binyamin and Nolan Norris coming on for Sebastien Ibeagha and Deedson. The final sub came during stoppage time with Herman Johansson and Joaquin Valiente coming off for Sam Sarver and rookie Nick Simmonds, who made his MLS debut.
Man of the Match
No question about it tonight, it has to be Musa.
Where does this fit into the season
As of this writing, the draw puts Dallas into a three-way tie for 5th place with Real Salt Lake and Seattle. Both are in action right now and look firmly in control of their games. I’d expect Dallas to be in 7th place by the end of the night.
What’s next for FC Dallas
Dallas wraps up a three-game homestand next Wednesday night as they host Minnesota United.
Dallas, TX
Akheem Mesidor selected by Cowboys by Blogging The Boys in SB Nation’s community mock draft
Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Pass rush has been an issue since the Micah Parsons trade. The Rashan Gary trade helped, but Dallas still needs an injection of talent. Akheem Mesidor fits here because his body size allows for some versatility inside and out, something DC Christian Parker utilizes. Mesidor is also a high-motor player with a deep bag of pass rush moves.
His last season at Miami was full of disruption in the offensive backfield and he shows an all-around game, not just a bend-around-the-edge pass rusher. Yes, he’s a little older than you’d like in a rookie (25), but his motor, pass rush toolbox, and ability to play the run matches up with a need and makes him a quality pick at number 20.
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