Running a marathon is perhaps one of the more impressive athletic achievements you can perform, as running 26.2 miles tests your muscular strength and endurance. The marathon is a race with a rich history that is based in ancient Greece. Although the marathon is a competitive event, you do not have to run this race quickly if you don't want to. In fact, many celebrities and other notable personalities have walked marathons.
History of the Marathon
According to Charlie Lovett's book, "Olympic Marathon," the marathon is derived from an event in 490 B.C., when a Greek foot courier ran from the city of Marathon to Athens, a distance of about 25 miles, to share the news of a military victory. The marathon was chosen to be an event at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896. The marathon is still an Olympic event, but is also run annually in cities around the world.
Speed Requirements
Many marathons do not have time limits, although certain marathons --- such as those held in Boston and New York --- require entrants to qualify for the race. Some marathons do have time limits, such as the Chicago Marathon, which has a 6.5-hour time limit. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Marathon does not force runners to complete the race quickly, but the streets on which it is run are open to traffic about 6.5 hours after the start of the race, and the finish line is removed eight hours after the start time.
Marathon Records
With advances in knowledge of human physiology, improved training methods and enhanced sports nutrition strategies, new marathon records continue to be set. The fastest men's marathon performance as of 2011 is 2 hours, 3 minutes and 2 seconds, set by Geoffrey Mutai in the 2011 Boston Marathon. The fastest marathon performance by a woman was 2 hours, 15 minutes and 25 seconds, set by Paula Radcliffe in the 2003 London Marathon.
Slow and Celebrity Performances
Many marathon performances are considered to be notable despite the slow pace. In March 2011, a sumo wrestler weighing 400 lbs. because the heaviest person to complete a marathon, finishing with a time of 9 hours, 48 minutes and 52 seconds in the Los Angeles Marathon. Many celebrities and other notable figures have also run or walked marathons, including Al Gore, Oprah Winfrey, Ted Koppel and Princess Beatrice.
References
- "Olympic Marathon"; Charlie Lovett; Greenwood Publishing Group; 1997
- Honda Los Angeles Marathon: FAQs
- Bank of America Chicago Marathon: Course & Amenities
- "New York Times"; Kenyan Runs Fastest Marathon in Boston; Peter May; April 2011
- Marathon Guide: All Time Best Men's Marathon Times
- Yahoo! Sports; Sumo Wrestler Becomes Heaviest Man to Ever Finish Marathon; March 2011
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