If you're in the market for a mate, a marathon may be just the place for you. And if it's a man you seek, well, then, you are in luck.

Runner's World expert Miles of Ask Miles says the gender ratio at marathons nationwide is 60:40, men to women. There are exceptions. If a woman is the significant other you choose, the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco is more than 90 percent female. And the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon is 56 percent female. More men race out east, though -- the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the New York City Marathon are about 70 percent male.

I know some folks who join churches to find companions. Others frequent bars. But I like the marathon option, where potential partners are fit, driven, and likely to support a healthy lifestyle. What's your pick for meeting a mate?

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I'm not sure I could ever finish a marathon, let alone log 26.2 miles while running backwards. But people have done it -- run marathons backwards, that is.

Ask Miles from Runner's World says more runners than we'd think have finished in this manner. In March, Rome held a backward marathon with 44 registered runners. And in 2004, Chinese runner Xu Zhenjun ran a 3:43:39 backward marathon. I'm dizzy just thinking about it. And pretty impressed too.

Got any backward fitness feats up your sleeve?

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