26.2: THE MARATHON
Many people have strapped their laces and taken to the streets in an effort to achieve what is now considered the new base milestone for beginning runners: the marathon. Past the simple month of training that is the 5k and not fazed by the relatively easy training required for the half, the average runner is setting their goals to the 26.2 distance. Some people may do it for the sticker they can put on the back of their car. Some people may do it for the sense of self-accomplishment bestowed upon them after finishing. Some people may do it just for fun, wishing for those wonderful waves of endorphins that come with putting oneself through such a grueling trail of human strength and endurance. One thing is for sure, however, and its that running has become a popular activity to be enjoyed by the masses.
What exactly is the marathon?
In the simplest terms possible, the marathon is a race. Lasting 26 miles and often run through giant metropolises, people of all skill levels, from the elite Kenyan athlete to a cookie-baking grandma, can be found racing these events. The origins of the marathon stem from a story that easily could be a lie, but the story is interesting nonetheless. After the Battle of Marathon, a messenger named Pheidippides ran to Athens without stopping, covering approximately 24 miles before finally giving the message and then dropping dead due to physical exhaustion. While the story is a bit far-fetched, it provides an interesting piece of historical context to explain the behavior that so many people have begun to engage in. During the 1908 Olympic games in London, the king and queen preferred that the distance be extended, so that they could view it from their box in comfort. This tacked on two extra miles and brought the race to the distance that it is today.
How do you train for a marathon?
If you are the typical person that decided out of the blue to run a marathon, training is relatively simple. Run a little bit more each week, have a longer run on the weekends, and eventually, the day to race is here and you are prepared. For the professionals, things go a bit differently. The runners of Kenya are often considered the best distance runners in the world. But surely, if other countries have more people, then they should be better than Kenya, correct? Surprisingly enough, nothing could be farther from the truth. In order to take a good look at what it takes to be one of the best in the world, we must dive into the source of where the majority of the greats come from.
From an early age, the Kenyans are running. Not out of wanting, but out of necessity. The children have little to no means of vehicular transport, so they run to school. Before even becoming teenagers, they are already settled into a consistent schedule of running every day of the week. When it gets down to the serious runners, a lot changes. Not just running to school anymore, the Kenyans dedicate their lives to running. Diets are closely monitored and sleep is emphasized. It would not be uncommon for a runner to sleep eight or nine hours a night, and then throw in a nap in the middle of the day to go along with it. With such a big talent pool to draw from, the Kenyans will amass in large groups and run together. With so many people around you, it becomes much easier to keep mental strength intact and to not drop pace. And these same people are together every day, training at an intense effort relentlessly, all with the same goals in mind and the same work ethic to get them achieved. On the mental side of things, Kenyans just keep confidence. No matter how bad a race went or how tired they were on a run, the Kenyans bolster with confidence and put bad thoughts behind them almost as soon as the thoughts come into their heads. Altitude comes as another huge advantage. With many of the athletes training in Iten, they are exposed to much thinner air, and their heads are literally above the clouds. Constantly being so high up has a big effect on running when at sea level, and this brings their already ridiculous abilities to near superhuman.
The following is an excerpt from the training schedule of Geoffrey Mutai, a world-class marathoner.
Monday – two hours of running in the morning, and one hour in the afternoon.
Tuesday – 50 minutes in the morning, and a 12,000 meter workout in the evening.
Wednesday – two hours of running in the morning, and two more hours at night.
Thursday – a 25 mile run with pace progression.
Friday – two hours in the morning, and two at night.
Saturday – an hour of warm-up and cool down, and twenty two-minute intervals.
With this being said, it’s easy to see what kinds of things the elites are up to. Days dedicated solely to training, with no worries in the world except their running.
Who can run a marathon?
It may come as a shock, but anyone can run a marathon. People of any age, of any fitness level, and of any talent level can run, assuming they have the willpower to do so. Budhia Sing was four years old when he ran his first marathon. Every day, he ran upwards of seven hours, loving the pure joy of it and completing training that many elites would find too strenuous. While his future ended up being dim, he showed that literally anyone could run had they a little grit. Harriette Thompson, aged 91, completed her fifteenth marathon in June earlier this year, coming in at an age-record setting time of 8:53:08 even while battling cancer. Kelly Gneiting, weighing in at 430 pounds, became the heaviest person to run a marathon, squashing the previous record of 275 pounds. He may have come in at 9:48:52, but he did finish, through a combination of running the first eight miles and walking the last eighteen. Before his record setting run, he was quoted as saying that “[he] honestly thinks [he is] one of the best athletes in the world” (Gneiting). While this may not be necessarily true, it shows the confidence he had in himself that was necessary to complete the daunting task. Comedian Eddie Izzard, who had no prior experience with distance running, finished the equivalent of 43 marathons in just about seven weeks, raising tons of money for charity during his journey. Reported as having “blisters on [his] blisters”(Izzard), the star was able to complete an amazing journey and further exemplifies just how good the human body is when it comes to pushing the limits.
Future Prospects of the Marathon
The world records for the marathon are very different between genders. The women’s record is at a bit of a stalemate, not having been touched in more than eleven years. Paula Radcliffe ran 2:15:25 at the London Marathon, and since then, not one female has even come close to her, with even the fastest current women, Rita Jetpoo – a known drug cheat, being a good two to three minutes behind her. On the men’s side, however, records are being shattered left and right, and currently, the world record stands at a devilish 2:02:57, set by Dennis Kimetto at the Berlin Marathon But let’s refocus on the men’s time, because it holds room for an interesting discussion: The sub-two hour marathon.
To put in perspective what the two-hour barrier is like, take the famous Roger Bannister and his story of the four-minute mile. Considered impossible by many and supposedly proven impossible by others, the four-minute mile was THE thing to achieve. That is where we stand now with the marathon. Inching closer and closer every year, tension is climbing up to a crescendo as the race times fall. A physical barrier does lay in between us and this goal, but time has proven that barriers are only psychological, and that what the human mind puts itself to can be achieved. Even with the idea that it is just a mind game, certain factors will have to come into perfection for the sub-two to happen. The temperature will need to be just right, at just below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and the course it is ran on will need to be straight in order to allow for constant speed without the needs of turning to slow down the legs of the athletes. At the pace needed to achieve the feat, marathoners are producing their own drafts. Yes, that is right, the marathoners are running so fast that they create headwinds that slow them. This requires the need for pacers who can catch the winds and take up much of the effort from the record attempter. Will the sub-two happen soon? Probably not. But it very well may come in the next twenty or so years, when humanity has had more time to advance and develop technologically.
Long distance running captures the essence of human life. It allows freedom and a separation into solitude that is unmatched. Millions of people have begun to see this potential, and as a result, the general population is being drawn into running more and more. This is a great thing, and for the trend to continue will only be beneficial for the improvement of the sport.
Many people have strapped their laces and taken to the streets in an effort to achieve what is now considered the new base milestone for beginning runners: the marathon. Past the simple month of training that is the 5k and not fazed by the relatively easy training required for the half, the average runner is setting their goals to the 26.2 distance. Some people may do it for the sticker they can put on the back of their car. Some people may do it for the sense of self-accomplishment bestowed upon them after finishing. Some people may do it just for fun, wishing for those wonderful waves of endorphins that come with putting oneself through such a grueling trail of human strength and endurance. One thing is for sure, however, and its that running has become a popular activity to be enjoyed by the masses.
What exactly is the marathon?
In the simplest terms possible, the marathon is a race. Lasting 26 miles and often run through giant metropolises, people of all skill levels, from the elite Kenyan athlete to a cookie-baking grandma, can be found racing these events. The origins of the marathon stem from a story that easily could be a lie, but the story is interesting nonetheless. After the Battle of Marathon, a messenger named Pheidippides ran to Athens without stopping, covering approximately 24 miles before finally giving the message and then dropping dead due to physical exhaustion. While the story is a bit far-fetched, it provides an interesting piece of historical context to explain the behavior that so many people have begun to engage in. During the 1908 Olympic games in London, the king and queen preferred that the distance be extended, so that they could view it from their box in comfort. This tacked on two extra miles and brought the race to the distance that it is today.
How do you train for a marathon?
If you are the typical person that decided out of the blue to run a marathon, training is relatively simple. Run a little bit more each week, have a longer run on the weekends, and eventually, the day to race is here and you are prepared. For the professionals, things go a bit differently. The runners of Kenya are often considered the best distance runners in the world. But surely, if other countries have more people, then they should be better than Kenya, correct? Surprisingly enough, nothing could be farther from the truth. In order to take a good look at what it takes to be one of the best in the world, we must dive into the source of where the majority of the greats come from.
From an early age, the Kenyans are running. Not out of wanting, but out of necessity. The children have little to no means of vehicular transport, so they run to school. Before even becoming teenagers, they are already settled into a consistent schedule of running every day of the week. When it gets down to the serious runners, a lot changes. Not just running to school anymore, the Kenyans dedicate their lives to running. Diets are closely monitored and sleep is emphasized. It would not be uncommon for a runner to sleep eight or nine hours a night, and then throw in a nap in the middle of the day to go along with it. With such a big talent pool to draw from, the Kenyans will amass in large groups and run together. With so many people around you, it becomes much easier to keep mental strength intact and to not drop pace. And these same people are together every day, training at an intense effort relentlessly, all with the same goals in mind and the same work ethic to get them achieved. On the mental side of things, Kenyans just keep confidence. No matter how bad a race went or how tired they were on a run, the Kenyans bolster with confidence and put bad thoughts behind them almost as soon as the thoughts come into their heads. Altitude comes as another huge advantage. With many of the athletes training in Iten, they are exposed to much thinner air, and their heads are literally above the clouds. Constantly being so high up has a big effect on running when at sea level, and this brings their already ridiculous abilities to near superhuman.
The following is an excerpt from the training schedule of Geoffrey Mutai, a world-class marathoner.
Monday – two hours of running in the morning, and one hour in the afternoon.
Tuesday – 50 minutes in the morning, and a 12,000 meter workout in the evening.
Wednesday – two hours of running in the morning, and two more hours at night.
Thursday – a 25 mile run with pace progression.
Friday – two hours in the morning, and two at night.
Saturday – an hour of warm-up and cool down, and twenty two-minute intervals.
With this being said, it’s easy to see what kinds of things the elites are up to. Days dedicated solely to training, with no worries in the world except their running.
Who can run a marathon?
It may come as a shock, but anyone can run a marathon. People of any age, of any fitness level, and of any talent level can run, assuming they have the willpower to do so. Budhia Sing was four years old when he ran his first marathon. Every day, he ran upwards of seven hours, loving the pure joy of it and completing training that many elites would find too strenuous. While his future ended up being dim, he showed that literally anyone could run had they a little grit. Harriette Thompson, aged 91, completed her fifteenth marathon in June earlier this year, coming in at an age-record setting time of 8:53:08 even while battling cancer. Kelly Gneiting, weighing in at 430 pounds, became the heaviest person to run a marathon, squashing the previous record of 275 pounds. He may have come in at 9:48:52, but he did finish, through a combination of running the first eight miles and walking the last eighteen. Before his record setting run, he was quoted as saying that “[he] honestly thinks [he is] one of the best athletes in the world” (Gneiting). While this may not be necessarily true, it shows the confidence he had in himself that was necessary to complete the daunting task. Comedian Eddie Izzard, who had no prior experience with distance running, finished the equivalent of 43 marathons in just about seven weeks, raising tons of money for charity during his journey. Reported as having “blisters on [his] blisters”(Izzard), the star was able to complete an amazing journey and further exemplifies just how good the human body is when it comes to pushing the limits.
Future Prospects of the Marathon
The world records for the marathon are very different between genders. The women’s record is at a bit of a stalemate, not having been touched in more than eleven years. Paula Radcliffe ran 2:15:25 at the London Marathon, and since then, not one female has even come close to her, with even the fastest current women, Rita Jetpoo – a known drug cheat, being a good two to three minutes behind her. On the men’s side, however, records are being shattered left and right, and currently, the world record stands at a devilish 2:02:57, set by Dennis Kimetto at the Berlin Marathon But let’s refocus on the men’s time, because it holds room for an interesting discussion: The sub-two hour marathon.
To put in perspective what the two-hour barrier is like, take the famous Roger Bannister and his story of the four-minute mile. Considered impossible by many and supposedly proven impossible by others, the four-minute mile was THE thing to achieve. That is where we stand now with the marathon. Inching closer and closer every year, tension is climbing up to a crescendo as the race times fall. A physical barrier does lay in between us and this goal, but time has proven that barriers are only psychological, and that what the human mind puts itself to can be achieved. Even with the idea that it is just a mind game, certain factors will have to come into perfection for the sub-two to happen. The temperature will need to be just right, at just below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and the course it is ran on will need to be straight in order to allow for constant speed without the needs of turning to slow down the legs of the athletes. At the pace needed to achieve the feat, marathoners are producing their own drafts. Yes, that is right, the marathoners are running so fast that they create headwinds that slow them. This requires the need for pacers who can catch the winds and take up much of the effort from the record attempter. Will the sub-two happen soon? Probably not. But it very well may come in the next twenty or so years, when humanity has had more time to advance and develop technologically.
Long distance running captures the essence of human life. It allows freedom and a separation into solitude that is unmatched. Millions of people have begun to see this potential, and as a result, the general population is being drawn into running more and more. This is a great thing, and for the trend to continue will only be beneficial for the improvement of the sport.