marathon 101 - basics of the olympic sport
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By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
Marathons 101
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
Marathons: The Basics
• Marathon: A long-distance foot race that is 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers)
• The race is named after the Greek soldier Pheidippides
• The marathon became standardized as an Olympic event in 1921
• Large marathons can have tens of thousands of participants
• More than 800 marathons are organized throughout the year
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
History of the Marathon
• According to legend, Pheidippides was a Greek messenger who was sent from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated
• The first Olympic marathon took place in 1896
• The women’s marathon was introduced to the Olympics in 1984
• It has been a tradition in the modern Olympics for the last event to be the running of the marathon
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
Training for a Marathon
• Most running coaches believe that the most important part of training is the long run
• Many runners try to reach 20 miles as their long run
• 40 miles a week is an average distance for runners that are training
• Most training programs last around five to six months
• Consult your health professional regularly during your training
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
Tips for Participating in a Marathon• Most likely you’re not going to win :-(
So start slow and take it easy, set your own personal goal and strive to reach your goal.
• Don’t drink to much during the race and take plenty of nutrients.
• Write something unique on your shirt or wear something unique. This will allow spectators to cheer for you – “Run Steve, Run!”
• Bring warm clothes and a throwaway blanket to the start. Sometimes you will wait hours and hours and you shouldn’t start a race stiff.
• Take salt tablets during the race to keep your sodium levels up.
• For more tips, Google “Jonathan Roche 10 Tips for running a marathon”
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Famous Marathons
• More than 800 marathons are organized around the world
• Five of the largest marathons: Boston, New York City, Chicago, London, and Berlin make up the biannual World Marathon Majors
• Marathons also occur at the North Pole, on the Great Wall of China, and in Greenland
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
World Records
• World records for marathons were not recognized until 2004
• Before world records were recognized, the best times were referred to as “world best”
• The world record for men was set in Berlin by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia with a time of 2 hours 3 minutes and 59 seconds
• The world record for women was set in London by Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain with a time of 2 hours 15 minutes and 25 seconds
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
Online Registration for Races
• With the high number of participants in marathons, online registration is a must to manage registrants for any size race
• Compete-At provides a tailored, turn-key platform for marathon organizers to set up their events online: http://www.compete-at.com/running/index.html
By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Races
Content Credits
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/196430219/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hojusaram/2339926870/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkeleher/2385765806/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/athomeinscottsdale/3108205128/
Image Credits
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Image Credits
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdevillamil/2305163356/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdevillamil/2305162176/in/set-72157604024065288/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michalo/283653390/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pheidippidespic1.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/infomatique/1800236987/