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Before beginning training for a marathon you must first respect the distance. Twenty-six miles is no walk in the park; it's a run around a very big park. Trying to run a marathon without proper training can result in pain, exhaustion and injury, so make sure you can run the distance before you try racing the distance. more »
Experienced runners and new runners can become marathoners as long as they are determined to follow a training plan. Find out what you'll need and how to train for one of the biggest achievements of your life. more »
Sometimes called the ultimate endurance event, the marathon is a high goal to reach. However, you can finish the race if you follow these steps. more »
Whether or not Runner Rob likes it, the marathon world has changed forever, allowing walkers to become an integral part of the race. An exercise in self-determination, half-marathon walkers often focus on the journey of the marathon rather than ranking high enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Keep in mind, however, that to walk... more »
Want to run a marathon without bothering with all 26.2 miles? A marathon relay is the race for you. Marathon relays have all the joys of your standard 5k or 10K race, but with the added bonus of team camaraderie. And with the right team, you just might run your fastest marathon! more »
While the first marathoner collapsed and died after running 26.2 miles, millions of people...
Athletes, start planning your next run at a marathon. Use precise planning and scheduling to...
Pick a famous marathon in a city including Boston, New York City or Chicago. Use tips on how to...
For people who love to run, their sport is more than a way to stay fit--it's a way to stay sane...
For many people, running a marathon seems like an insurmountable task. A marathon is a race just over 26 miles. No matter how fast or how slow you... more »
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... more »
As with every other aspect of marathon preparation, smart runners use long training runs to learn how to eat before a marathon. You may have heard... more »
You're a good runner and enjoy keeping up a strong pace for long distances. You'd like to take your running to the next level, but being able to... more »
Part of the process of training for your first marathon involves learning to hydrate properly. Use long training runs to measure your body's fluid... more »
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26 miles 385 yards), that is usually run as a road race. The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens. The historical accuracy of this legend is in doubt,Prologue/> contradicted by accounts given by Herodotus, in particular.
The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 800 marathons are contested throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes. Larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.
History
The name Marathon comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger. The legend states that he was sent from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon,galloway> which took place in August or September, 490 BC. date> It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping and burst into the assembly, exclaiming "" (Nenikékamen, We have won.) before collapsing and dying. The account of the run from Marathon to Athens first appears in Plutarchs On the Glory of Athens in the 1st century AD who quotes from Heraclides Ponticuss lost work, giving the runners name as either Thersipus of Erchius or Eucles.Moralia 347C Lucian of Samosata (2nd century AD) also gives the story but names the runner Philippides (not Pheidippides).A slip of the tongue in Salutation, Chapter 3
There is debate about the historical accuracy of this legend.Prologue>Persian Fire by Tom Holland The Greek historian Herodotus, the main source for the Greco-Persian Wars, mentions Pheidippides as the messenger who ran from Athens to Sparta asking for help, and then ran back, a distance of over each way. In some Herodotus manuscripts the name of the runner between Athens and Sparta is gi read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon
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