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| ALL ABOUT MARATHONS |
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In 490 BC, a Greek runner, Pheidippides, was sent from the battlefield, Marathon, with a message that the Greeks had won the battle against the mighty Persians. Pheidippides ran all the way from Marathon to Athens (42 km), without stopping, to announce it to the citizens. The world was introduced to a new sport, the marathon.
The marathon was one of the earliest sports introduced in the Olympics. It was an event in the first Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896. But it is not just an Olympic Game. An endurance event, it is also a hugely popular public sport. As a matter of fact, of late, many cities have their own marathons where, apart from professional runners, the townspeople also have a go.
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Boston, London, Berlin, New York and the Delhi Marathon are just some of the more famous ones. In India, it has caught the fancy of people only recently. Last year, Delhi hosted the Hutch Delhi Half Marathon. And this year, it was held on October 15.
A marathon can be a half marathon too. A normal marathon is just over 42 km. One has to build up stamina and practice hard before he, or she, should try and participate. Training includes exercises, cross country running, swimming, skipping or bicycling.
Running a marathon is different from sprinting. Here, you have to try and conserve as much energy as you can. This is done by letting your arms rest and not moving them too much while running. African runners are particularly good at this. Athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia have won many marathons. Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, the world champion, is widely acknowledged as the ‘Boss’ of half marathons.
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