What is a Marathon?
A traditional marathon is a long distance footrace with a course that is exactly 26.2 miles long. Other popular long distance races are half marathons, which are 13.1 miles, and ultramarathons, races of any distance greater than a standard marathon, usually 40 miles or more. The story behind the marathon and its seemingly arbitrary distance, is one dating back to the ancient Greeks; a messenger named Pheidippides was believed to have run from a battleground at the city of Marathon, where the Greeks defeated the Persians, to deliver the news to Athens. Upon his arrival he announced the news of the Greek victory, and died of exhaustion shortly thereafter. The distance Pheidippides ran--around 40km--evolved into the marathon distance we know today.
Running a Marathon
The marathon is considered by many to be the most difficult and grueling sporting events in existance. Running a distance of 26.2 miles requires significant cardiovascular training and muscular endurance training, usually in the form of several months of rigorous training runs. Many major cities around the world sponsor annual marathons, which usually involve shutting down city streets to form a track for runners. Courses typically have water stations spaced every few miles, as well as aid personnel on hand to assist runners that develop medical problems. Marathons generally have a purse, awarding prize money to the fastest male and female finishers, and sometimes the fastest runners within specific groups. Unlike many sports which emphasize dexterity and fast twitch muscles, in marathons, conditioning, experience, and determination are of utmost importance. Runners in their mid 30s and even 40s can be competitive in marathon running at the elite level.
Recreational Marathoning
In recent years, marathon running has experienced a boom of popularity among non-competitive, recreational runners. Whether it is the mystique behind the race's history, the extreme challenge it presents, or the fitness benefits of training for such a long race, the number of average people attempting to run marathons growing. Most average runners set modest race goals, oftentimes hoping just to finish the race. Since larger marathons require cities to shut down major streets, there is usually a limit on the amount of time a runner can take to complete a race, and if they fall too far behind they are not allowed to finish officially. Stronger more experienced marathon runners often set time goals, or attempt to qualify for the Boston marathon, which is considered the most prestigious marathon race in the US. Men between 18 and 34 must have run a marathon in 3 hours and 10 minutes in order to qualify for Boston, and women must run in 3 hours and 40 minutes.
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