Did Oprah ruin marathons?

Most of us know that the New York Marathon happened just last weekend, and it brought out a number of celebrities, including Katie Holmes and Lance Armstrong. It seems like everyone is running a marathon these days -- from those who are only occasional joggers to those who are hard-core runners. I doubt I could run a marathon myself, but I really admire those who do, whether they're marathon veterans or first-timers who've decided to challenge themselves.

But take a look at this article, titled 'How Oprah Ruined the Marathon'. The author argues that Oprah has brought too much publicity to marathons by competing in one herself, and now everyone thinks they're cut out for a marathon and takes one on as a personal challenge.

I can see his point. But marathons are hard work and I think that any sort of phenomenon that encourages someone to get in ultimate shape and push themselves beyond what they ever thought they could accomplish is a good thing. Leave the awards and top race times to the fanatical marathoners -- I don't think it ruins things to have a few people trailing behind, just happy to cross the finish line.

What do you think?