Marathon

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I present to you: The Marathon – the most famous long distance race and a test of endurance, determination and spirit. It encompasses 42.195 km or 26 miles and 385 yards and therefore is the longest race on the Olympic program. The race has its roots from a battle 2500 years ago. Greek Soldier Philippides announced the defeat of the invading Persian after running from the Marathon battle to Athens. After that he immediately died out of exhaustion as he already ran 150 miles the day before, which is also the reason why this 26-mile run is so legendary. The first modern Olympics were carried out in 1896 in Athens and the organizers chose the distance of 40km to celebrate the achievements of Ancient Greece. Later the distance got changed at the 1908 Olympic Games in London to 26 Miles and 385 yards so that at the the children of the Royal Nursery at Windsor could see it and that it would finish in front of Queen Alexandra at the White City Stadium in west London. This distance was then standardized in 1921. The first Olympic marathon for women was held in Los Angeles in 1984.

World Record
The World Record holder for men right now is Kelvin Kiptum from Kenya as he ran the 42 kilometres in 2:00.35 in Chicago (USA) in an official race. The second fastest marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge, also from Kenya, ran the marathon in 2:01.09 in Berlin. In Vienna 2019, Kipchoge was the first human ever to run the marathon in under two hours in an unofficial race. Due to him being paced by a rotating group of other runners, the air resistance could be deflected and he was able to save up approximately 3:33 minutes. Experts state that different formations that could save up even more time for the athlete.

Tips
Of course I won’t provide you a full marathon plan as it’s a long way to get there for beginners and you can get serious injuries when you train wrong or don’t listen to your body. Despite that, I still want to give you some tips and tricks if you consider training for it or you are just interested in marathon preparation:

  • Start your training at least 20 weeks before. You don’t want to drag yourself through the marathon but enjoy it and finish with satisfaction. A 5K or 10K can maybe be run without preparation but a marathon needs lots of training to build up your aerobic system and to strengthen your tendons and ligaments
  • Run 30 Kilometers at least once before your marathon race. You have to be familiar with running on tired legs as the marathon will cause your muscles to fatigue when you are getting to the 30km mark
  • Get yourself a running partner, coach or join a running club. They can help you to stick to your plan and motivate you when it’s not your day. A whole marathon plan is easier written down than done as your everyday live can also disrupt your plan or maybe you get sick in between
  • Don’t forget to rest. You may have the feeling that you should train everyday to reach your goal but sometimes the opposite is better. Resting allows your body and mind to recover which generally improves your performance on the whole course
  • I recommend a right fueling routine as your body will need energy over the whole race. Include gels in every hour of the race because your body will need carbohydrates, otherwise you could get cramps. Also don’t forget to hydrate properly

Marathon – Wikipedia
Marathon – men – senior – all
How to run a marathon in under two hours
The Complete Guide to Crushing Your First Marathon