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A marathon is about 6.2 miles longer than a typical human being's ability to race. That is why runners "hit the wall." Phidippides died running it from Marathan to Athens. Yesterday, very sadly, Ryan Shays died running the marathon in an Olympic trial.
The race is sufficiently long and hard that anything can happen--runners get cramps, nausea, strains, fractures, and so forth. I've run about 40 marathons and abou 30 ultramarathons. Each one is different and is an adventure. I am not an elite runner, by a long shot, but I can finish an ultra closer to the front of the pack than a marathon.
Like many posting here, I run for stress relief and for my health, not to win races. I run races for documentation of performance. Am I getting faster or slower?
I know that I am not going to win a marathon and I want to be sure to stay out of the way of those having a chance. Footraces from the 5K to the ultra are one of the very few sports where people of many abilities can put themselves to the test and stretch their human abilities. As many others have said, this is the kind of sport desperately needed in the US right now, if we are going to break out of the stereotype of the fat, greedy, stupid, spoiled, ugly American.
