MARATHONS

Marathons, Impacts And Visitor Figures



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Marathons, Impacts And Visitor Figures

Introduction

Male marathoner runners represent the full spectrum of training behaviors, eating behaviors and attitudes, genetic strengths, and motivations for running. Some can be classified as recreational runners, whose motives for running are not to win a marathon, but rather to gain health benefits or to have fun. Some are drawn to the sport as a means of losing weight or to experience psychological satisfaction, while others are drawn by the desire to win, occasionally at any cost. While marathon races are one of the oldest of the formal endurance sports it is a relatively young organized competitive sport.

Discussion

The legend of the marathon event goes back to Ancient Greece in 490 B.C. The legend states that a man named Phillipides ran as a military courier from Marathon, Greece to Athens, approximately 26 miles, to announce victory of an attack at Marathon. To commemorate the memory of this legend, the founder of modern Olympics included a run of nearly 26 miles and deemed it a marathon event. The first marathon race took place in Athens, Greece for the first Olympic Games in 1896. At the 1908 Olympic Games, the marathon was made an official 26.2 mile race. American involvement in marathons was officially documented by participation in the Olympic Games of 1896. However, it must be noted that Native American Geronimo made regular twenty-five mile runs during his life, living to age eighty. In fact, Cortez reports to having seen Native American runners who were able to run 200 miles in one day . From its early history in America, critics have questioned the safety of engaging in an attempted run of 26.2 miles without stopping. Claims were made that only the most naturally gifted or extremely healthy should even attempt to train for, much less participate in a marathon. Concerns were raised that cessation of running could create more problems 16 to a body that experienced dramatic changes in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and muscular functions from running.

Marathon Training

Marathons have some of the more extreme training demands in sports, requiring a dedication of time, body, and mental focus to complete a 26.2 mile run. To train for participation in a marathon, it is assumed that the individual is in good health, has a body composition and type that will allow for a 26.2 mile run, has had the necessary training, and has the desire to successfully complete the run. Hundreds of thousands of people participate in marathons worldwide each year.

Because marathon running is an extreme sport with definitive endurance and energy requirements, staying healthy and strong are essential for optimal performance. Success in marathon training requires time devotion, and the motives for such devotion need to occur in balance with other life activities. Even within the context of this extreme sport, normality exists. Running 26.2 miles is normal for a marathon. Training daily and running 25-40 miles per week is normal ...