14 Things You Should Know about the Marathon

1. It's the crème de la crème of races

The marathon rightly enjoys a status as one of the world’s most popular long-distance races. It is an extreme physical accomplishment for any top athlete, but also a distance that can be conquered with proper preparation by your regular recreational runner.

2. It's long, really long. And popular.

The marathon course measures 42,195 meters, or 26 miles and 385 yards. Hundreds of marathon events are organized throughout the year in every corner of the world, varying from a dozen participants to tens of thousands. The marathon is truly the king of all long-distance courses, as its 42 kilometers entail much more than all that running.

3. It's not something to do on a whim

Preparing for a marathon requires thorough preparation and versatile training. Depending on your personal goal, the race can consist of a battle against time, or just simply an effort to make it to the finish line. In either case finishing the race is certain to be a euphoric feeling topped by nothing other than planning for your next one. Very few marathon runners are ready to stop with the first experience under their belt.

4. It has a cool story behind it...

The marathon challenge dates back to ancient Greece, all the way to approximately 400 BC. According to the famous myth, Pheidippides, the Greek messenger, ran the circa 40 kilometer way from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to declare victory over Persians in the Battle of Marathon. The story goes that when Pheidippides got to Athens, after exclaiming “we won!” he collapsed out of exhaustion and died on the spot. There are many versions of the story, and the accuracy of none has ever been proved.

5. ...which doesn't mean it couldn't be altered way later

In the first times, the precise distance of the marathon course varied between both sides of 40 kilometers. The currently established 42,195 was run for the first time in the 1908 London Summer Olympics. The reason for the extension of the chosen 26 miles with another 385 yards was the Queen’s wish to see the finish line directly in front of the royal enclosure. After the Olympics, the distance became a standard.

6. It used to be a no-no for women

For a long time, the marathon was considered to be a men’s race only. Although one or two women had completed the marathon, they were not acknowledged in any official results, and the race was generally considered too demanding for women. Finally in the 1960s women were included in the Olympics to compete in the marathon, and nowadays both male and female athletes have shown amazing achievements in the race.  

7. It takes approximately 5 hours to complete

The level of marathon runners varies significantly. The top marathon times in the world stretch just over 2 hours, whereas an amateur runner or jogger can spend up to 6 hours completing the course. Walkers need another few on top of that, of course. There are different estimates of the average marathon time, but it is generally considered to be between 4 h 30 min and 5 h. A first-timer may have difficulty estimating their finish time, and for the first ever marathon, it’s a good idea to set the goal at finishing regardless of the time spent.

8. It's not just for runners

The marathon can be completed by running, walking or in a wheelchair for example. In addition, there are often masqueraded participants in the events, who complete the course dressed up, say, in an armor or as an animal.

9. It has been run incredibly fast

The current marathon world record holder is Patrick Makau. He made the record in the Berlin Marathon in 2011 with an astonishing 2:03:38. The women’s record holder is Paula Radcliffe whose 2003 London Marathon record 2:15:25 has exclusively stood for ten years.

9. And a little slower too

There is no equivalent documentation of the slowest marathon times, but for example the British fundraiser Lloyd Scott took 11 days to complete the London Marathon in 2011. To be fair, he was dressed up as a giant snail for the entire journey.

10. A staggering 366 marathons have been run in a row by one person

Finishing one marathon is already an outstanding achievement, not to mention several marathons on consecutive days. In 2013 the Danish Annette Fredskov completed her incredible mission of finishing 366 marathons in 365 days – one per day, and two on the last one. Fredskov, who has been diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis, wanted to prove that illness does not prevent one from living life to the fullest. 

11. There are some really tough marathon races

In addition to individual runners’ marathon missions, there are also events that include the completion of several marathons. Perhaps the most famous is the Marathon des Sables, self-described “the toughest footrace on earth”. Marathon des Sables is organized in Morocco through the Saharan desert. The course is the equivalent of six full marathons, and is run in extreme heat conditions of approximately 50 Celsius degrees during the day.

12. There are hundreds of marathon events in Europe every year

Most of the capitals or other large cities have their own marathon, such as Prague Marathon, Barcelona Marathon, Brussels Marathon, Valencia Marathon and Dublin Marathon. In addition to large city marathons, there are dozens and dozens of smaller events organized by sports clubs and private parties. For some runners, running a marathon is the best way to get acquainted with a city. It is common to travel in pursuit of new marathon experiences, or to look for a marathon in the travel destination.

13. The most popular marathons gather tens of thousand of runners

The five most highly esteemed and best known marathons in the world are New York Marathon, London Marathon, Boston Marathon, Berlin Marathon and Chicago Marathon. All five are also amongst the largest marathons in the world – for example the New York Marathon hosted over 45.000 runners in 2010. These famous races are extremely popular, and getting a place in any of them may prove to be very difficult. A good way to earn a place is to run for a charity cause. Another option is to book a package holiday including flights, accommodation, and a place in the marathon.

14. It's a really cool achievement

There are multiple reason for runners to decide to go for a marathon. For its standing reputation as the "must" race for all runners, many people want to check it off their bucket list. The marathon can be run to excel oneself or to mark a special occasion or life change. In addition, motivation for running the distance can come from fundraising or running in honor of a loved one. For each person who decides to do it, the marathon is a unique experience, no matter what the motivation. Therefore running the marathon should not be seen as a race of cut-off times and finish-times and records, but as an incredible achievement of an individual.  

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_running_events

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon

http://www.marathondessables.co.uk/

http://www.annettefredskov.dk/about-366-marathons-in-365-days/

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/may/13/brian-the-snail-london-marathon