The throat is dry and breathing becomes clogged. My legs were tired and seemed to be filled with lead. In-ear headphones with favorite music that invariably maintains energy in the body. You run on the machine, not attaching importance to every step. After the finish, great relief and satisfaction. You feel so light, as if you are taking off now. Breathing gradually returns to normal, it becomes even and measured.
Approximately such conditions are experienced by everyone who has ever engaged in long-distance running. Although "large" is a loose concept. For some, running and 1 km will be a feat. But now we are talking about distances of 10, 15 and 20 kilometers. It is in such races that you need good willpower and endurance.
But the very peak that attracts with its unattainability is the length of the marathon. This is the line that many amateur runners want to approach. But due to the serious training that is needed to overcome such a race, not everyone will be able to carry it out. But still, what is the length of the marathon? It is 42 km and 195 m. It is precisely such a path that athletes run to then carry the honorary name of the marathon runner for life.
Where did this length come from?
To answer the question "what is the length of the marathon distance", you need to turn to historical information. So, in 490 BC, a battle took place between the Greek army and the Persians. This happened near the ancient city of Marathon. To inform Athens that the Greeks had won, a messenger Fidippides was sent, who ran a distance of 42 km and 195 m. He transmitted the good news and fell dead from exhaustion.
After a lot of time, the length of the marathon distance was changed and adjusted several times. But in 1921, this figure was established and recorded by the international amateur athletics federation. Over the years, marathon races have been organized all over the planet, in which several thousand people participate at a time.
Such a sport as running is very popular among people. They are engaged in recreational purposes and to maintain tone in the body. It is available to every person who can move around.
What you need in order to run a marathon
Before running a marathon, everyone should go through a huge amount of training. In addition, a strong desire and iron endurance will be required. It is necessary to run at least 10 km daily and, depending on the body, select the right nutrition.
As a rule, preparation for the race is a whole system, which is compiled individually for each. It includes:
- Diet and its quality. Meals should be timed. Also, a separate system can be a diet, which implies a certain amount of substances for the body. Products are specially selected, the amount of their intake is controlled.
- Training mode. He must effectively combine rest with exercise. The regime is one of the main components for proper preparation.
- Development plan. This is a graph according to which there is a gradual increase in load in the form of an increase in distance.
Beginner Mistakes
Many of those for whom the length of the marathon distance has become the goal for the near future begin to train. And, in order to improve their form, they try to dial it too quickly. Such accelerations are very dangerous for health and can drive the body into a dead end. To avoid this, you should remember the rule that all loads should be gradual. In no case do you need to force training and try to run too far a distance without proper preliminary training. It’s better to divide everything into stages and move from one small goal to another. Such regularity will help adapt an unprepared body, withstand the load.
There are also many drugs and various stimulants that help the body activate energy reserves and increase stamina and strength. But the abuse of such drugs is fraught with consequences on the body in the form of damage to the liver and other organs, which suffer primarily from drugs. They must be taken very carefully, under the supervision of an experienced doctor. Do not hope that you know everything in this matter, you can not rely only on yourself. Extra consultation will never hurt.
Training program
If you are accustomed to training regularly already, then the length of the marathon will no longer seem as scary as it might seem. But to conquer it, you need to start intensive training in 3-4 months. You can take advantage of the annual events in big cities, when the race takes place on a certain date, and prepare for them. Such organized races help athletes to meet and communicate with each other. In addition, there are medal prizes and letters of commendation for participants that can be kept as a keepsake.
To start a focused training, you can use the principle of "3 + 1". In this case, you should run 3 days in a row and rest for one day. Next, you need to increase the number of training days as you get into shape to 5 + 1 or even 6 + 1.
The distance at each training session also needs to be increased gradually. It should be between 10 and 25 km. Also, not every day you need to run the same number of kilometers. It is possible to carry out an increase within one cycle. For example, on the first day, the distance is 10 km, the second is 15, the third is 20, the fourth is 25 and the fifth is 30 km. Such wave-like trainings gradually develop endurance. Also, the program must include acceleration workouts. In this case, the runner overcomes 1-3 km in acceleration, and then from 0.5 to 2 km runs at an average speed. This is necessary in order to have strength at a distance when there is an ascent along the highway.
Records in the marathon
The 2014 world marathon record was set by Kenyan native Dennis Kimetto. He ran the distance in 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds. He managed to break the Wilson Kipsang marathon record for as much as 26 seconds. Every year, new records begin to differ only a few tens of seconds. This is due to the ultimate capabilities of the human body.
Olympic Games
The marathon distance at the Olympic Games is one of the iconic events that usually completes the entire event. The race was included in the list of competitions one of the first. Often, marathon runners finish at the stadium in honor of the closing of the Olympic Games. This has become a kind of tradition, which is supported at every event.
There is a special commission to certify the path along which the marathon runs. In accordance with the rules, there should be no lifts that exceed the maximum permissible deviations. There should also be no significant excess or shortage of distance.
Since the number of marathon runners is large, which is why it is very difficult to fix the start and finish, special electronic chips are used that are issued to each participant for registration.
Organization of competitions at the Olympic Games
Runners usually use routes that have an association certificate. For this, start and finish points are set and equipped. Every 5 km of run, toilets and bases with prepared water and food for marathon runners are installed, since overcoming such a distance is a serious test for the body. This is necessary to maintain water balance and replenish the energy of athletes. There are also special workers who monitor the order, ambulances for emergency cases are on duty throughout the distance.
Amateur competition
There are also commercial organizations that organize marathons. All participants are registered and make a cash contribution. In this case, they are given a serial number. The results of such competitions may not be ratified by an international organization, since the number of meters of the marathon distance may differ from the established one. Among the popular races, unofficial are the Los Angeles and Boston marathons, which use the track with violations.
Conclusion
Conquering such a peak as the length of the marathon is one of the goals of many amateur runners. And not every athlete succeeds. To do this, you need to train a lot and have good willpower. There are many communities and fan clubs in the world that disseminate information and gather marathon participants from all over the world.
The marathon distance, the history of which began in 490 BC, is, as already mentioned, not obeyed by all. But those who overcome it, by their example, prove how hardy a person can be.
Here, perhaps, is everything regarding the length of the marathon. But do not think that 42 km and 195 m are a distance that is the ultimate length. Human capabilities are truly endless.