"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong," aka Murphy's Law, clearly applies to running, as my experience bears out. For example:

If there's a choice of race distances, all the fast guys in your age group will choose the same race you do.

The number of age group medals awarded will be one less than your finish position in your age group. Corollary: The guy standing just ahead of you in the finish chute is always in your age group and will claim the last award in your division.

When you change age groups, your birthday will always occur on the day after a major race. Corollary: Most of your injuries will occur during the first year you are in a new age group.

Your once-a-year bout with flu will always commence on the week before you're scheduled to run a marathon.

Virtually all winter snowstorms will occur on days you run 20-milers to prepare for the Boston Marathon. Corollary: Autumn 20-milers invariably coincide with storms bringing freezing rain. Sudden wind shifts always create headwinds.

On winter days when you postpone your workout until the weather improves, the temperature will continue to drop, wind velocity will increase and snow will fall even harder.

When you travel south seeking a moderate climate to run a winter marathon, you will compete on a day with a sub-zero wind-chill.

When you race really well, a scoring mistake will leave you out of the official results or your name will be horribly misspelled. Corollary: These mistakes are never corrected until the award ceremony is over and results have been published.

The only way to learn that European running shoes run one size smaller than U.S. sizes is to order a pair through a mail-order catalog.

When you finally find a shoe that satisfies you in every way, the model will be discontinued.

The availability of parking places at a race is based on the weather. The worse the weather is, the farther you'll have to park from the start.

All the great race t-shirts will get stained the first time you wear them, while the ugly shirts will remain unblemished for years.

Fast point-to-point race courses run toward prevailing headwinds.

Shoelaces are most likely to break in the last minute before the race starts.

The only time you will fumble a water cup at an aid station is during the hottest day of the summer.

The quality of your race will depend on how many of your loved ones are there to watch you. The more family and friends on hand, the worse you will race. Corollary: If you run an awful race, everyone will ask how you did. If you run a great race, no one will ask.

If a photo of you appears in a newspaper or magazine, it will show you throwing up or collapsing in the finish chute. Your triumphant sprints across the finish line are never captured on film.

Dave Foley, who edited Michigan Runner magazine for 14 years, admits ruefully all these Murphyisms have happened to him. MR