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What Is A Marathon? And Why Are We Running?

What Is A Marathon? And Why Are We Running?

Have you ever wondered what a marathon is and how it came into being? Well…a marathon is a running event with a distance of 42.195 km. Most marathons take place in the form of a road race although there are some that are in the form of a cross country or on uneven roads.

The History Of The Marathon

The marathon commemorates the running of Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, from Marathon, Greece, to Athens, a distance of nearly 26 miles.

He completed his run, where he then proclaimed victory in battle, prior to then passing away.

It’s a bit of a wonder why anyone attempted that same distance, knowing what happened to Pheidippides. The odds, at that point, wouldn’t have seemed to have been in their favor.

Then The Distance Changed!

As the marathon began to transition into more regular competition, the race distance was extended to nearer the now official 26.2 miles so that the finish line would best match up with the viewing box of the royal family in the 1908 London Olympics.

As organizing bodies for sport and athletics took hold, this became the official distance.

Why are we then running marathons?

Running a marathon is tough especially for beginners. But what is it that draws the crowd as it seems to be the rage these days although it is not for everyone. Reasons differ from every individual why they chose to run in marathons and in my own opinion, these are the few:

  • Test of your own endurance;
  • Raise awareness and support causes;
  • Healthy lifestyle and to keep running fit so long we can still run;
  • It’s not a race with anyone but it’s your own race against your own clock;
  • Run free and letting go of stress;
  • Friendships and camaraderie are bonded. Support and encouragement during the runs;
  • The tremendous fun and dynamics at the event and participants bursting with energies during the run. Been there, done that;
  • The race shirt, the finisher shirt, medals, goodie bags, etc.
  • However before anyone should attempt to embark on the marathon journey, he or she should actually starts slow with patience and training is a must in preparation of this long and tedious but extremely rewarding journey. And you will see the smiles and joys once you have crossed the finishing line knowing that your hard work has paid off!

Now That You Have An Answer…

Now that you have an answer to the question, “what is a marathon?” we’d love to hear about your marathon goals.

Do you have a marathon on your running calendar already?

Will it be your first, or are you an experienced marathon runner?

Do you have a time goal? Or, are you just hoping to make it to the finish line?

image and stories source from JustRunLah: