In a championship race last year, longtime marathon runner Ed Doyle checked in, expecting to receive his number and timekeeping microchip.

However, they had mistakenly been given to someone else.

Due to the mix-up, when Doyle finished the race, he discovered that his time had been recorded twice. Fortunately, the real Ed Doyle performed better than his doppelganger.

"I liked my time better than the one the other guy had," said Doyle, owner of Up-N-Running specialty running and walking center in Valencia.

Interest in running is on the rise again after a bit of a downturn over the past few years, he said.

And running is not just for the young. Often, it's the over-40 crowd who frequent his store for equipment as well as advice.

"I think a lot of the baby boomers are getting up there in years and they want to continue to keep their youth," Doyle said.

Distance running gained attention in the 1970s and 1980s through runners such as Joan Benoit-Samuelson, winner of the first Olympic women's marathon in 1984, and Steve Prefontaine, who, at the height of his career, held American records in every event from the 2,000 meter to the 10,000 meter. He broke his own or others' records 14 times before his untimely death in a car accident in 1975.

"They were all the real pioneers of long distance running — they really made it popular," Doyle said.

There were about 397,000 marathon finishes in the United States in 2006, up from about 383,000 in 2005 — an increase of about 3.7 percent, according to www.marathonguide.com.

The rise can be attributed, in part, to national groups such as the high-performance Team Nike or Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, an Olympic development program for former high school and collegiate runners who still want to compete.

"They brought U.S. distance running back to the forefront," Doyle said.

For beginners, distance running is not a difficult sport to pick up, Doyle said, "just put one foot in front of the other.

"The main thing is, especially when you get up there in years, you really have to take your time. Don't try to run 10 miles your first time out."

During his many races, Doyle has seen children as young as 5 run cross country and adults "well into their 80s" run in "all-comers" meets, he said.

"Just about any weekend, starting in mid March until Christmas, you have races," Doyle said. These can range from 5 kilometer jaunts to grueling ultramarathons, which span 50 to 100 miles or 24 to 48 hours.

Marathonguide.com lists more than 380 national and 500-plus international races, for all skill levels.

Distance running is mostly a solo effort, but Doyle said he appreciates other runners who are near him on a course. They help keep his mind off the long marathon miles — all 26.2 of them.

"During my own experience, as soon as there aren't people around to distract me, I focus on the miles and hit a wall," he said.

And lot of camaraderie exists among runners who annually enter the same races.

"In my experience … they do become addicted," Doyle said of races.

Some upcoming races in the area include:• Just a Short Run, 1/2 Marathon/30K/Relay/5K, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 31. North Park Boat House, 399 Pierce Mill Road. Visit www.active.com.• Big Blue Quest, 5K/2K, 9 a.m. Saturday, April 21. North Park. Call Kim Sainiak at 412-359-3902, e-mail ksainiak@wpahs.org or visit www.bigbluequest.com.• Y Not Run 5K, 10 a.m. Sunday, April 22. 543 E. Main St., Grove City YMCA, Grove City. Call Jennifer Coulter at 724-458-9781 or e-mail jenncoulter@zoominternet.net.Cost and rules vary by race, and are available from organizers upon signing up.Web sites: Greater Pittsburgh Road Runners: www.geocities.com/gprrc/; also www.marathonguide.com and www.race360.com for national and international information and user forums.