Hundreds of thousands of runners flock to marathons each year.
While crossing a marathon finish line -- whether its your first time or your 10th -- is an immensely fulfilling experience, the training process can be absolutely grueling. Everyone gets motivated for a marathon in their own way, and for many, mental motivation plays a big role. Take a breather from the track and get to know some interesting facts about running a marathon, and you might find that they inspire a second wind.
Historical Facts
The origins of the marathon lie in ancient legend. These legends say that the Greek soldier Pheidippides ran 25 miles from the town of Marathon to Athens in 490 B.C. According to the story, Pheidippides promptly dropped dead after announcing a battleground victory over Persia with the words "Rejoice, we are victorious!" Fittingly, the first Olympic marathon took place in Greece in 1896, with 17 runners racing over 24.8 miles and not a single one dying. Spyridon Louis took home the first gold medal for his finish time of 2 hours and 58 minutes. That same year, Boston -- now the home of the longest running yearly marathon in the world -- held its first annual marathon. The 1908 Olympic Games in London established the standard 26.2-mile marathon length. At that time, the marathon spanned from Windsor Castle to White City Stadium.
Physical Facts
Most runners cover about 880 miles from the very beginning of their marathon training to the finish line on the big day. Those big numbers make for a big calorie burn, too -- a 140-pound woman burns about 2,777 calories over the course of one marathon. The average runner's foot hits the ground about 13,000 to 20,000 times during a marathon, according to Boston.com and podiatrist Dr. Jordan Stewart.
Around the World
The New York Marathon started with just 127 runners in 1970; in 2012, more than 47,000 competitors ran. If those numbers sound huge, it's because they are -- the New York Marathon attracts more runners than any marathon in the world. Almost as big, the 40,000-participant Paris Marathon hands out red wine and cheese to runners at the Eiffel Tower. As of 2013, the men's world record for the fastest completed marathon belongs to Patrick Makau Musyoki of Kenya, who blasted through 26.2 miles in 2:03:38. Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain holds the women's world record of 2:15:25.
More Factoids
Stefann Engels of Belgium holds the record for most consecutive marathons run, as he ran a marathon every single day of the year in 2010. The Boston Marathon holds another record as the first race of its kind to allow women in 1972. However, Roberta Gibb beat this record when she hid in a bush and jumped into the race in 1966. On the subject of weird records, charity fundraiser Lloyd Scott is a world-class contender in "slowest runner" category. He once finished the London Marathon in five days wearing a deep-sea diving suit, a record he later "bested" when he took 26 days to reach the finish line while dressed as a snail.
Tags: finish line, marathon world, miles from, world record, York Marathon