The problem for many runners is that once they have gone barefoot, they can't go back.

WSJ: Barefoot Jocks Keep Gym Members on Their Toes

On Wednesday, the mood was subdued, with runners expressing mixed feelings about claiming medals for a race many didn't finish.

WSJ: Boston Marathon: Runners Return to Retrieve Belongings

Meanwhile, Sally Gunnell, John Regis, Suzi Perry and Blue Peter's Simon Thomas will be on the streets, talking to some of the "fun" runners, many of whom raise huge amounts of money for charity - a major part of the success of the marathon.

BBC: Marathon coverage at the

After Bernard Lagat competes Saturday in the Fifth Avenue Mile, he plans to do something that would feel completely foreign to many elite runners: He will toss his sneakers in a closet and pig out for the next five weeks.

WSJ: The Secret to Running: Not Running