Why is the marathon 42? Standards and records for marathon running. How to prepare for a marathon so you can run it in the shortest amount of time

Jogging in the morning is extremely beneficial, although not everyone has enough desire and willpower to exercise regularly. Even those people who are far from sports hobbies know: the marathon distance is about 40 km, a little more.

In fact, the length of the marathon distance is exactly 42,195 meters, which is surprising. Why not 42, not 43 km? Why couldn’t you stop at a nice, even number? To understand this issue in detail, you need to look into history.

Where does the marathon start?

According to history, in 490 BC the Battle of Marathon took place, in which the Greeks won. And a messenger was sent to Athens, who ran more than 30 km at the limit of his speed just to tell people this good news. The hero's name was Pheidippides, and having completed this race, with the last of his strength he shouted out the words that became legendary, calling on the Athenians to rejoice in victory. As the legend goes, after this he fell dead.

Of course, modern athletes end their run with a more positive outcome, although they also run at the limit of their strength, hoping to break the record and go down in history, to get a prize. Most likely, the ancient Greek hero fell due to the fact that he gave his all first on the battlefield, and then also took on the burden of a messenger. History is silent about this. But the distance from Marathon to Athens has become memorable, which is why it is called marathon.

Modern Olympics

Since the Olympics began to be revived as sports festivals in 1896, the marathon distance has been remembered again. But they decided to change the route, laying it along another, longer road - this time it was about 40 km.

When it came to the fourth Olympics, which was held in Great Britain in 1908, the distance for marathon athletes changed again, to exactly 26 miles. In terms of more conventional units of space measurement, this distance is 41,843 meters. The race took place near Windsor Castle, and the distance ended at the Great Stadium.

Interesting fact: It was originally intended that the athletes would stop near the box, but then they decided to add another 352 meters to the original distance. This was a major milestone in the formation of modern distance.

The English track was taken as a model, and by 1921 the Athletics Federation had made a final decision on the length of the distance. Since history has not preserved the exact mileage of the first marathon runner, it was decided to require athletes to run a distance of 42,195 meters.

The first marathon distances

Until this norm was taken as the golden rule, marathon distances varied from one Olympics to another - however, the difference between the distances was not very significant. So, in 1896 in Athens they ran exactly 40 thousand meters, and in Paris in 1900 athletes had to overcome 260 meters more. In 1904, the Olympics were held in St. Louis, where they ran 39,996 meters, and only then the London Olympics in 1908 took place, within which the standard of 42,195 meters was formed.

However, after this incident, two more Olympics were held with “floating” distances, because the norm was approved a little later. In 1912, athletes gathered in Stockholm, where they had to overcome 40,200 meters, and then, in 1918, the sporting event was held in Antwerp, with a distance of 42,750 meters.

Jogging for record holders and for ordinary athletes

Curious people would be interested to know how long it takes to overcome this distance. The world record currently belongs to Dennis Kimetto, a native of Kenya. The record was set on September 28, 2014 - the athlete was able to cover the distance in 2 hours, 2 minutes, 57 seconds. Having made the simplest calculations, you can understand that he developed a speed of over 20 kilometers per hour.

The marathon distance is not only for professionals in the world of sports. It is available to everyone; similar competitions are held in most countries several times a year. Amateurs of all ages are welcome at the races; they have the opportunity to compete with professional athletes and prove themselves. But not all marathons are open to the public - the most prestigious of them gather so many potential participants that they have to organize a lottery to draw free places between those interested.

Thus, the marathon is 42,195 meters because this is how it happened historically. And not because the ancient Greek messenger ran so much, but for the simple reason that the English marathon took root in sports, becoming a classic, universally recognized, and it was just such a distance.

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- Olympic running discipline. It is a road race over a distance of 42 km 195 meters. Marathons, the distances of which world records are recorded, should not have a height difference of more than 1 meter per kilometer of distance. However, marathons are held in completely different conditions. There are mountain marathons, when athletes cover a distance of 42 km 195 meters, running through the mountains; marathons are held in mines, in the Arctic, in deserts, etc.

1. World records in marathon running

The world record for running the marathon among men belongs to Kenyan athlete Dennis Kimetto, who covered 42 km 195 meters in 2 hours 2 minutes 57 seconds in 2014.

The world record in the women's marathon belongs to British athlete Paula Radcliffe, who completed the distance in 2 hours 15 minutes 25 seconds. This record has stood since 2003. In order to understand how outstanding this achievement is, it is worth saying that the closest result to the world record for women shown over the past 12 years is the result of Kenyan runner Mary Keitany, who ran the marathon in 2012 slower than Paula by 3 minutes 12 seconds .

2. Rank standards for marathon running among men

2. Rank standards for marathon running among women

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Many new marathon runners ask the question: why exactly 42.2 kilometers, and no more, no less, should they run during a marathon? But even the emergence of the concept of “marathon” in running has ancient roots. The legend tells that Pheidippides traveled from the Greek city of Marathon to Athens to report that the Greeks had defeated the Persians. The ending was tragic - after it he died. But the tradition of overcoming such long distances in order to tell the world “about victory over oneself,” in order to test one’s strength or to carry out a charitable mission, has remained.

Legend or real events?

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus described a legend in which Pheidippides did not walk, but ran 42.4 kilometers. But there were many who disagreed with this version. Thadippidas was indeed sent to Sparta to ask for an army. He had to cover 240 kilometers in one day and was refused. The Greeks, supposedly in despair, stopped waiting for support and attacked the Persians when they least expected such a strategic move. Thanks to this we won.

Recent research by historians claims that Herodotus did not write about the race from Marathon to Athens at all. And the first to write about the feat of a runner who covered 42.2 kilometers was Plutarch. But in his version, a man named Eucles fled to Athens. Lucian also described the race in his work. And his first marathon runner in the world was Pheidippides. These disagreements indicate that, probably, this is still a beautiful legend, and not real historical facts.

Historical facts

• British Air Force officers arrived in Greece in 1982 to test whether it was possible to run from Marathon to Athens. Three of the five starters completed the distance. 1983 went down in history as the first year of the existence of Spartathlon. In September, wasp runners from all over the world come to Athens to cover the 246 kilometers to Sparta. It is significant that the record for overcoming the route was broken by the Greek Janis Kuras. This happened in 1984. It took him 20 hours and 25 minutes to cover 246 kilometers.
• The actual distance from Marathon to Athens is 40 kilometers. This is how many athletes ran at the first Olympic Games in 1896. But in 1908, when they took place in London, the distance was increased by 2 kilometers for the comfort of the royal family, who could watch it from Windsor Castle.
• The distance was finally established in 1921 - since then it has been 42 kilometers 195 meters.

The marathon distance at the first modern Olympic Games was approximately forty kilometers. The current length of this discipline of forty-two kilometers one hundred and ninety-five meters was established only in nineteen hundred and eight at the Olympics, held in the capital of the British Empire - London. The distance was increased so that the marathon runners participating in the race had the honor of approaching the residence of the English royal family - Windsor Castle. After London, the length of the race was changed several times, until in one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four it was decided to set the length of the race equal to the “British” marathon, which is still official today.

The current record for marathon running belongs to Kenyan athlete Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich. This athlete completed this route in a time of two hours, three minutes and twenty-three seconds. The African demonstrated his outstanding performance in 2013 at the annual Berlin Marathon. But already in 2014, Dennis Kimetto improved the figure to 2:02:57 at the same marathon.

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_world_records_in_marathon

However, earlier, in 2011, another Kenyan runner Geoffrey Mutai showed a result of two hours, three minutes and two seconds at the famous Boston Marathon. But, as it turned out, the route in this American city does not meet the requirements of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) due to the presence of several unacceptable elevation changes.

Among women, the holder of the world record in marathon running is the representative of Great Britain, Paula Jane Radcliffe. She owns the achievement, which she demonstrated in two thousand and three at her home marathon in London. Its result is equal to two hours fifteen minutes twenty-five seconds.

In the history of the modern marathon there are achievements that are impossible to believe, much less repeat:

Stefan Engels ran a marathon every day for three hundred and sixty-five days, that is, a whole year straight! It’s not for nothing that this athlete is called “Marathon Man” with a capital M all over the world.
At the London Marathon in 2002, a kind of “anti-record” was set: the British athlete Lloyd Scott completed the marathon distance in five days. This is not at all surprising, given the fact that the athlete was wearing... an old diving suit that weighs as much as fifty-five kilograms! And nine years later, he broke his own “anti-record” by wearing a giant duck costume. The time it took Scott to cover over forty-two kilometers of distance was twenty-six long days. With his performances, Lloyd regularly raises hundreds of thousands of pounds for various charities.
An absolutely fantastic record in the universe of marathon running belongs to amateur runner, Australian farmer Albert Ernest Clifford “Cliff” Young. Just think, this man managed to run eight hundred and seventy-five kilometers in just five days, fifteen hours and four minutes of the so-called “super marathon,” although this was his first time participating in such a race. Despite the fact that at the beginning of the journey the Australian lagged behind his more eminent rivals by a considerable distance, he managed to overtake everyone, and all thanks to the fact that he practically did not sleep for five days! According to him, he developed the habit of going without sleep thanks to his professional activities - on the farm he had to search for his lost sheep for days on end.
Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila Abebe Bikila became famous for completing the marathon barefoot.

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Marathons are not uncommon among a large number of sports competitions. Both professional and experienced athletes, as well as amateur athletes, take part in them. How did the marathon distance appear and how many days in a row can you complete it?

What is the history of the marathon, which is more than 42 kilometers long, and what are the current ones for women and men? Who are the top ten fastest marathon runners and what are some interesting facts about the 42km marathon? Read this article for tips on preparing for and completing a marathon.

History of the 42-kilometer marathon

The marathon is an Olympic track and field discipline and the length of the marathon is 42 kilometers, 195 meters (or 26 miles, 395 yards). Men have competed in this discipline at the Olympic Games since 1896, and women since 1984.

As a rule, marathons are held on the highway, although sometimes this word means competitions in running over long distances over rough terrain, as well as in extreme conditions (sometimes the distances can be different). Another popular running distance is the half marathon.

Antiquity

As the legend goes, Pheidippides, a warrior from Greece, in 490 BC, at the end of the Battle of Marathon, ran non-stop to Athens in order to notify his fellow tribesmen of the victory.

When he reached Athens, he fell dead, but still managed to shout: “Rejoice, Athenians, we have won!” This legend was first described by Plutarch in his work “The Glory of Athens,” more than half a millennium after the actual events.

According to another version (Herodotus tells about it), Pheidippides was a messenger. He was sent by the Athenians to the Spartans for reinforcements, and ran more than 230 kilometers in two days. However, his marathon was unsuccessful...

Nowadays

Frenchman Michel Breal came up with the idea of ​​organizing a marathon race. He dreamed that this distance would be included in the program of the Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens - the first in modern times. The Frenchman's idea was liked by Pierre de Coubertin, who was the founder of the modern Olympic Games.

The first qualifying marathon was eventually held in Greece, with the winner being Charilaos Vasilakos, who completed the distance in three hours and eighteen minutes. And the Greek Spyridon Louis became the Olympic champion, completing the marathon distance in two hours, fifty-eight minutes and fifty seconds. Interestingly, on the way he stopped to have a glass of wine with his uncle.

Women's participation in the marathon during the Olympic Games took place for the first time at the games in Los Angeles (USA) - this was in 1984.

Marathon distance

At the first Olympic Games in 1896, the length of the marathon was forty kilometers (24.85 miles). Then it changed, and since 1924 it became 42.195 kilometers (26.22 miles) - this was established by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (the modern IAAF).

Olympic discipline

The men's marathon has been the final track and field program since the first modern Olympic Games. Marathon runners finished at the main Olympic stadium, either a few hours before the closing of the games, or at the same time as the closing.

Current world records

In men

The world record for men's marathon running belongs to Kenyan athlete Dennis Kimetto.

He ran a distance of 42 kilometers and 195 meters in two hours, two minutes and fifty seconds. This was in 2014.

Among women

The women's world title belongs to British athlete Paula Radcliffe. In 2003, she ran the marathon in two hours, fifteen minutes and twenty-five seconds.

In 2012, Kenyan runner Mary Keitany tried to break this record, but she failed. She ran the marathon slower than Paula Radcliffe by more than three minutes.

Top ten fastest male marathon runners

The favorites here are mainly athletes from Kenya, as well as Ethiopia.

1. Runner from Kenya Dennis Kimetto. He ran the Berlin Marathon on September 28, 2014 in 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds.
2. Runner from Ethiopia Kenenisa Bekele. He ran the Berlin Marathon on 25 September 2016 in 2 hours 3 minutes 3 seconds.
3. Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge ran the London Marathon on 24 April 2016 in 2 hours 3 minutes and 5 seconds.
4. Kenyan runner Emmanuel Mutai ran the Berlin Marathon on September 28, 2014 in 2 hours, 3 minutes and 13 seconds.
5. Kenyan runner Wilson Kipsang ran the Berlin Marathon on September 29, 2013 in 2 hours, 3 minutes and 23 seconds.
6. Kenyan runner Patrick Makau ran the Berlin Marathon on September 25, 2011 in 2 hours, 3 minutes and 38 seconds.
7. Kenyan runner Stanley Biwott ran the London Marathon on 24 April 2016 in 2 hours 3 minutes and 51 seconds.
8. An Ethiopian runner completed the Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 3 minutes and 59 seconds. September 28, 2008.
9. Kenyan runner Elihu DKipchoge completed the Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 4 minutes. September 27, 2015.
10. Kenyan runner Geoffrey Mutai rounds out the top ten. who completed the Berlin Marathon on September 30, 2012 in 2 hours, 4 minutes and 15 seconds.

Top ten fastest female marathon runners

1. In 2 hours 15 minutes and 25 seconds, an athlete from Great Britain Paula Radcliffe ran the London Marathon on April 13, 2003.
2. In 2 hours 18 minutes and 37 seconds, the runner from Kenya Mary Keitany ran the London Marathon on April 22, 2012.
3. In 2 hours 18 minutes and 47 seconds, the Kenyan runner Catherine Ndereba ran the Chicago Marathon on October 7, 2001.
4. In 2 hours 18 minutes 58 seconds Ethiopian Tiki Gelana completed the Rotterdam Marathon on April 15, 2012.
5. In 2 hours 19 minutes 12 seconds Japanese Mizuki Noguchi ran the Berlin Marathon on September 25, 2005
6. In 2 hours 19 minutes 19 seconds, an athlete from Germany Irina Mikitenko ran the Berlin Marathon on September 28, 2008.
7. In 2 hours 19 minutes 25 seconds Kenyan Gladys Cherono completed the Berlin Marathon on September 27, 2015.
8. In 2 hours 19 minutes 31 seconds the runner from Ethiopia Aselefesh Mergia ran the Dubai Marathon on January 27, 2012.
9. In 2 hours 19 minutes and 34 seconds, a runner from Kenya Lucy Kabuu completed the Dubai Marathon on January 27, 2012.
10. Rounds out the top ten female marathon runners Dina Kastor from the USA, who ran the London Marathon in 2:19.36 on April 23, 2006.

• Overcoming a running distance of 42 kilometers 195 meters is the third stage in the Ironman triathlon competition.
• The marathon distance can be covered both during competitive and amateur races.
• So, in 2003, Ranulph Fiennes from Great Britain ran seven marathons over seven days on seven different continents and parts of the world.

• Belgian national Stephaan Engels decided in 2010 that he would run a marathon every day of the year, but he was injured in January, so he started all over again in February.
• On March 30, the Belgian beat the result of Spaniard Ricardo Abad Martinez, who ran 150 marathons in the same number of days in 2009. As a result, by February 2011, within a year, 49-year-old Stefan Engels completed the 365th marathon. On average, he spent four hours on the marathon and achieved a best result of two hours and 56 minutes.

• Johnny Kelly took part in the Boston Marathon more than sixty times from 1928 to 1992, and eventually reached the finish line 58 times and won twice (in 1935 and 1945).
• On December 31, 2010, 55-year-old Canadian citizen Martin Parnell ran 250 marathons during the year. During this time, he wore out 25 pairs of sneakers. Also, at times he had to run in temperatures below minus thirty degrees.
• According to scientists from Spain, the bones of marathon runners for a long time in old age do not undergo aging and destruction, unlike other people.
• Russian runner Sergei Burlakov, who has both legs and hands amputated, competed in the New York City Marathon in 2003. He became the world's first marathon runner with a quadruple amputation.
• Indian citizen Fauja Singh became the world's oldest marathon runner. He entered the Guinness Book of Records when he ran the marathon at the age of 100 in 8:11:06 in 2011. Now the athlete is over a hundred years old.
• Australian farmer Cliff Young won the ultramarathon in 1961, despite the fact that he participated in it for the first time. The runner covered 875 km in five days, fifteen hours and four minutes. He moved at a slow pace, at first falling far behind the others, but eventually leaving the professional athletes behind. He succeeded in this because he moved without sleep (this became his habit, since as a farmer he worked for several days in a row - collecting sheep in the pastures).
• British runner Steve Chalk raised the largest charity donation in marathon history, two million pounds. This happened during the London Marathon in April 2011.
• Brian Price, 44, took part in the marathon less than a year after he underwent a heart transplant.
• Radio operator from Sweden Andree Kelberg covered a marathon distance while moving along the deck of the ship Sotello. In total, he ran 224 laps around the ship, taking four hours and four minutes.
• American runner Margaret Hagerty took up running at the age of 72. By the age of 81, she had already participated in marathons on all seven continents of the world.
• British runner Lloyd Scott completed the London Marathon in 202 wearing a diver's suit weighing 55 kilograms. He spent about five days doing this, setting a world record for the slowest marathon run. In 2011, he took part in the marathon dressed as a snail, spending 26 days in the race.
• Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bakila won the Rome Marathon in 1960. Interestingly, he covered the entire distance barefoot.
• As a rule, a professional marathon runner runs a marathon at a speed of 20 km/h, which is twice as fast as the migration of reindeer and saigas.

Marathon running standards

For women

for a marathon with a distance of 42 kilometers 195 meters for women are as follows:

• Master of Sports of International Class (MSMK) - 2:35.00;
• Master of Sports (MS) - 2:48.00;
• Candidate Master of Sports (CMS) - 3:00.00;
• 1st category – 3:12.00;
• 2nd category – 3:30.00;
• 3rd category - Zak.Dist.

For men

The rank standards for marathon running at a distance of 42 kilometers 195 meters for men are as follows:

• Master of Sports of International Class (MSMK) - 2:13.30;
• Master of Sports (MS) - 2:20.00;
• Candidate Master of Sports (CMS) - 2:28.00;
• 1st category – 2:37.00;
• 2nd category – 2:48.00;
• 3rd category - Zak.Dist.

How to prepare for a marathon in order to run it in the minimum amount of time?

Training mode

The most important thing is regular training, which should begin at least three months before the competition.

If your goal is to run a marathon in three hours, then you need to run at least five hundred kilometers during training in the last month. It is advisable to train as follows: three days of training, one day of rest.

Vitamins and diet

The following must be consumed as vitamins and microelements:

• multivitamins,
• calcium,
• magnesium.

You can also try the popular “protein” diet before the marathon, and a week before the competition, stop eating foods that contain carbohydrates. At the same time, three days before the marathon you need to exclude foods containing proteins and eat foods containing carbohydrates.

Equipment

• The main thing is to choose comfortable and lightweight sneakers, the so-called “marathon” ones.
• Places where friction may occur can be coated with petroleum jelly or baby oil.
• It is better to give preference to high-quality clothing made from synthetic materials.
• If the marathon takes place on a sunny day, a hat will be required, as well as a protective cream with a filter of at least 20-30.

• Set a goal and clearly go towards it. For example, determine the time it will take you to cover the distance, as well as the average time.
• There is no need to start quickly - this is one of the common mistakes of all newbies. It is better to distribute your forces evenly.
• Remember: reaching the finish line is a worthy goal for a beginner.
• During the marathon itself, you should definitely drink - either clean water or energy drinks.
• Various fruits will help replenish your strength, such as apples, bananas or citrus fruits, as well as dried fruits and nuts. Energy bars will also come in handy.