Tenorio: When traveling, find runner-friendly places to say

One of the benefits of going to Florida last weekend was that our hotel, the Hilton Orlando, had a quarter-mile running track.So, a week ago Saturday, I ran four laps around the blacktop surface, which rings the 9-hole Executive Golf Course (although the golfers looked more like families on vacation, not CEOs).During one lap, I got to see some of the local wildlife when a lizard that looked tinier than my pinky finger darted across the track.The running course was a pleasant surprise ? and yet, when you look at all the accommodations hotels have been making for runners, maybe it’s reflective of a trend.Late last year, for instance, the Westin Hotels and New Balance announced a partnership by which people can rent running shoes at 10 hotels around the globe (including the Westin Boston Waterfront).”During their stay,” reads a release from Boston-based New Balance, “guests can borrow running shoes with brand new, disposable insoles for each use, as well as a variety of men’s and women’s apparel including shorts, shirts and socks for men and shorts, capri pants, shirts, sports bras and socks for women.”The program is free of charge and it looks like it will be expanded this year.The website westinnewbalance.com explains what prompted the gear-sharing idea.”(It) can often be difficult to keep up your exercise routine while traveling,” the site reads. “Strict carry-on requirements make it harder to pack shoes and apparel.”Running has even branched into the travel agencies.Boston is the headquarters for Marathon Tours & Travel, which “was the first company in the world to specialize in travel services for runners,” the agency says on its website.The company dates back to 1979, and it is the official travel agency in North America for the Boston Marathon.Its packages include deals that will guarantee you entry into several marathons (including the Virgin London Marathon) and late entry into others (including the Walt Disney World Marathon).As for the Boston Marathon, the agency promises “the lowest hotel rates” at 20-plus locations in Boston.From outdoor tracks to gear-sharing programs to deals that include competing in a marathon, why is the travel industry showing so much love to runners?An article from far-off Missoula, Montana – where participants in that city’s marathon activities last year dropped a cool $1.3 million – may provide a clue.”A typical marathoner tends to be in a slightly higher income bracket and almost never travels alone,” reporter Jenna Cederberg noted in the Missoulian earlier this month.So, to all you runners currently booking hotels for that summer vay-cay, remember this advice, with apologies to Glenn Frey: You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave the running shoes behind.Rich Tenorio is an Item copy editor.