The Popular History Of American Marathon Training
Most people know that a marathon is a long distance running event designed to push the limits of human endurance. What many people don't know is that many believe the original marathon was run over 2500 years ago, around 500 BC, in Athens.
Popular lore states that a Greek solider by the name of Pheidippides, was dispatched from the war field in Marathon to run back to the city of Athens. He was to carry news of the Greek victory over the Persian army.
What most find a bit ironic is that we celebrate this event, even though the poor racer dropped dead on the spot. Some variations of the legend say he burst into the senate room, screamed victory, and immediately dropped dead.
Many historians doubt the accuracy of the story. There are varying accounts on the actual life of Pheidippides, and one version states the race actually took place between Sparta and Athens, mentioning nothing of Marathon.
A poem in the late 1890's is said to have made the modern version of the legend of the marathon most popular. Many marathon runners will admit they really don't care, that the romance and spirit of the story remain regardless of actual fact.
One other unknown fact is the modern marathon, as seen in the Olympics, has had quite the varying distance over the last 100 years. While today's version is held strong at 26 miles 365 yards, many have been between 24 and 27 miles over the years.
Marathon training mania in the United States can be traced back to the Olympic victory of US runner Johnny Hayes in 1908. This popularized marathon training in the US and brought the event into the main stream. Frank Shorters victory in the 1972 games catapulted the distances popularity among average runners.
The marathon is so popular that an estimated half million runners will participate in an official marathon race this year. If you look at the major marathons like the one in Chicago, nearly half of all participants are fist timers.
The incredible history of marathon training is a romantic and fun way to keep the spirit of the race alive. It's often fun to imagine, during the rigors of a marathon training schedule, what it must have been like for those first runners all those years ago.
Popular lore states that a Greek solider by the name of Pheidippides, was dispatched from the war field in Marathon to run back to the city of Athens. He was to carry news of the Greek victory over the Persian army.
What most find a bit ironic is that we celebrate this event, even though the poor racer dropped dead on the spot. Some variations of the legend say he burst into the senate room, screamed victory, and immediately dropped dead.
Many historians doubt the accuracy of the story. There are varying accounts on the actual life of Pheidippides, and one version states the race actually took place between Sparta and Athens, mentioning nothing of Marathon.
A poem in the late 1890's is said to have made the modern version of the legend of the marathon most popular. Many marathon runners will admit they really don't care, that the romance and spirit of the story remain regardless of actual fact.
One other unknown fact is the modern marathon, as seen in the Olympics, has had quite the varying distance over the last 100 years. While today's version is held strong at 26 miles 365 yards, many have been between 24 and 27 miles over the years.
Marathon training mania in the United States can be traced back to the Olympic victory of US runner Johnny Hayes in 1908. This popularized marathon training in the US and brought the event into the main stream. Frank Shorters victory in the 1972 games catapulted the distances popularity among average runners.
The marathon is so popular that an estimated half million runners will participate in an official marathon race this year. If you look at the major marathons like the one in Chicago, nearly half of all participants are fist timers.
The incredible history of marathon training is a romantic and fun way to keep the spirit of the race alive. It's often fun to imagine, during the rigors of a marathon training schedule, what it must have been like for those first runners all those years ago.
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