Tag: Running Marathons

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Weight Loss Exercise

What It Takes to Run a Marathon





One of the most grueling races in the world is to run a marathon. Anyone who wants to run a marathon needs proper preparation and training. It is said that when you join a marathon, you are not only competing with other marathon runners but you are competing primarily with yourself. When running a marathon, mental preparation is as important as physical conditioning. During the final kilometers of the run, sheer determination may be the only thing pushing you to finish the race.

Start Small to Run a Marathon

Keep in mind that a full marathon is a daunting 42.2 kilometers, or around 26 miles. If you have never run a marathon before, it’s advisable to start by joining short distance races such as a 5K run. After competing in a number of 5K races, you may want to join 10K runs. Be sure to train properly for these short distance races. Before you know it, you’ll be ready to run a half marathon (21 kilometers) and even a full marathon.

Running shorter distance races will allow you to gauge your level in running, as well as your endurance level. Once you are able to run shorter races easily and confidently, you can proceed to running marathons.

Physical Preparation Getting Ready For a Marathon

Preparing to Ran a Marathon

Preparing to Ran a Marathon

Running coaches advise against running a marathon unless you have been running consistently for about a year. Before joining a marathon, you should be training four to five days a week and averaging at least 25 miles per week. If you have not reached this level of running, choose a suitable training program that will bring you up to the proper level. Running a marathon without proper physical training will increase the risk of injury and/or not finishing the race.

Cross training and weight training can also help you complete a marathon. These workouts increase your energy and develop muscles that may be neglected if you focus on running alone.

Mental Preparation – Marathons are Long and Tough

There is a lot of mental work involved when you train for a marathon. You have to believe and know that you can do it. Training is not easy, nor is running a marathon. There are tricks you can do to mentally prepare for a marathon. You can try to imagine running effortlessly and visualize reaching the finish line. Some people find that it helps when they “talk” themselves into completing the race.

It also helps if you break the course into sections mentally. Instead of thinking of completing 42 kilometers, think of running 5 or 10 kilometers. After completing one section, think of running the next until you successfully run the full marathon.

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Weight Loss Exercise

Seniors Running Marathons


Romauld Lepers and Thomas Cattagni, researchers from Inserm Unit 1093 “Cognition, Action and Sensorimotor Plasticity” at the Université de Bourgogone, have analysed changes in participation and performance of runners aged 20 to 80 in the New York marathon over the last 30 years. The results are largely unexpected: the best male marathon runners over 65 and the best female marathon runners over 45 have consistently improved their performance over the last 30 years. At the same time, the researchers also observed a strong increase in athletes over 40 participating in the New York marathon: from 36% of the total masculine runners between 1980-1989, to 53% between 2000-2009; and from 24 to 40% during the same periods for female runners.

Details of these descriptive analyses were published in the AGE review, The Official Journal of the American Aging Association.

Seniors Running Marathons

Seniors Running Marathons

Seniors Running Marathons

Inserm researchers analysed the chronometric performances of competitors in the New York marathon in accordance with age and sex over the 1980-2009 period. They classified runners who successfully completed he race into 10 separate age categories (20-29; 30-39; then every 5 years from between 40 and 79).

Although the average times achieved by the 10 best male and female athletes in age categories below 60-64 have not changed over the last 30 years, there was a sharp decrease in times for the senior age categories: for an average marathon time achieved of 3 hours and 50 minutes, men in the 65-69 age category improved by 8 minutes between 1980-1989 and 1990-1999, and 7 minutes between 1990-1999 and 2000-2009. Similarly, the average time achieved by women in age categories above 45-49 fell significantly. For example, the average performance for the 55-59 age category improved by 33 minutes between 1980-1989 and 1990-1999 (for an average race time of 4 hours and 20 minutes), and by 8 minutes between 1990-1999 and 2000-2009.

The researchers have thus concluded that, over the last two decades, the performances of the best male marathon runners over 65 and the best female marathon runners over 45 have particularly improved, whereas their younger counterparts have remained stable.

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