There are two 10K races that have the same theme but take place in different places and at different times. The theme is to celebrate Scotland, but the races take place on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The Scotland Run 10K is in New York in March, and The Great Scottish Run 10K in Glasgow in September.

The Scotland Run 10K takes place in Central Park in New York City every March and takes its name from the fact that it starts off a week of celebrations about Scotland. The Scotland Run 10K is an awesome event for the family, especially for the kids, as there are loads of booths serving great food, as well as music, dancers and face painters. Runners of all levels participate in The Scotland Run 10K, which is a loop run around Central Park. While you're running, you'll hear the beat of the drums and the wail of the bagpipes, so even if you're not Scottish, you'll feel like you are. Around 6,000 runners run in The Scotland Run 10K every year, making it best to register for the race beforehand, as registering on the day of the race gets incredibly hectic, and you don't want to miss the start time. The Scotland Run 10K also usually hands out some very nice gift bags, so make sure you get yours.

The Scotland Run 10K is one of the races that are pre-qualifiers for the ING New York Marathon, so there are always a lot of serious runners in it. But, don't worry, if you just want to have fun here, you can do that too.

Crossing the Atlantic and onto Scotland, The Great Scottish Run 10K takes place in September in Glasgow. Almost 20,000 runners run in this event, so it's huge and is actually the "biggest participation event" in Scotland. The race itself is relatively challenging, with some hills but a lot of flat ground. Proceeds from the Great Scottish Run 10K go to cancer research in the UK, but just for participating you'll get a nice T-shirt, a medal, certificate and a gift bag. You'll also get the satisfaction of knowing you did your part for cancer research.

If you want to enjoy the true Scottish experience, run in The Great Scottish Run 10K (there's also a half marathon if you want it a bit more of a challenge). But if crossing the Atlantic seems a bit too much, stay closer to home and run The Scotland Run 10K in New York. You'll still enjoy all the fun of Scotland without the long plane ride.

Have you ever been on an action committee? I have. What's my definition of it? An action committee is a group of people who talk, talk and talk some more before they actually do anything. Yet, when they finally do take action, it's big. They change laws, erect buildings and even do fun things like sponsor marathons. For this reason, it's no surprise that the Lahaina Town Action Committee is hosting the next Maui Oceanfront Marathon.

The Maui Oceanfront Marathon has all of the markings of a well-thought-out run. Besides having the usual 26-mile trek, it also has incorporated other smaller courses. There's the 20-miler, half marathon, 5k and kids' run. In other words, the Lahaina Town Action Committee did all it could to inspire locals and tourists to lace up their Nikes and participate in their marathon. Too add to all of this, the committee also made sure the course included a lot of ocean scenery. If you participate in the Maui Oceanfront Marathon, you'll get a chance to see whales, colorful foliage and other things native to the ocean. It'll allow you to experience the great outdoors in a way you can't in many other places. However, if that doesn't turn you on, think about all of the surfers and other people at the beach. This marathon will allow you to meet an eclectic group of people.

Are you ready for a run along the beaches of Maui? If so, you still have time to sign up. The race starts on January 25, 2009. You can make running it one of your New Year's Resolutions. For more info, visit www.mauioceanfrontmarathon.com.

"Have you lost all of your marbles?" This question must be the running joke hurled at all of the great people of Marblehead , Massachusetts. For this reason, it's a good thing they have a local female celebrity who is able to refute any of the negative connotation surrounding their town's name. Who is she? She is record breaking runner Shalane Flanagan.

At 27 years old, Shalane Flanagan is a slight, cross country runner who showed up big at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Besides coming in third in the 5000 meter race at the U.S. Olympic trials, she also took home a bronze medal in the 10,000 meter race. These wins were a great follow-up to her prior 2007 record-breaking runs where she set a new U.S. indoor 3000 meter record (8:33.25) and outdoor 5000 meter record (14:44.80). However, what's crazy is that these events aren't the most interesting aspect of Shalane Flanagan's life.

Shalane Flanagan was born with a rare condition that gave her an extra bone in her foot. Unaware of her condition for most of her life, she just found out about it three years ago. How? She was in excruciating pain and couldn't figure out why. After seeing a series of doctors, one correctly diagnosed her with an extra bone that happened to be tearing through a tendon. This event prevented her from competing in the year of 2006 but probably is responsible for her amazing rebound as a runner in 2007.

So what's the moral of Shalane Flanagan's story? If you come from a town with a funny name and just happen to have an extra bone in your body, you just might have the makings of a great athlete. And if you don't, you at least have a good story to tell.