What is a marathon and why do people run?
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | 12:45 PM ET
CBC Sports
You don’t need to have run a marathon to know it’s one of the most difficult tests in sports.
And that’s just measuring out the course. It took 16 hours for Toronto Waterfront organizers to accurately lay out their route, which is the marathon-standard 42.195 kilometres in length.
That quirky number was established at the 1908 Olympics in London, where the Royal Family wanted the marathon to start on the grounds of the Windsor Castle and end under the royal box at White City Stadium. Hence, a few extra clicks were added to what had been a 40-km race at the 1896 Olympics in Athens.
Perhaps more impressive than the distance is the speed at which the top runners cover the course. The elite men average 20 km/h the whole way and complete the race in around two hours, 10 minutes, while the best women travel at 17 km/hour and take about 2:30 to reach the finish line.
Of course, the vast majority of the 12,000-plus participants from more than 30 different countries who will run the Toronto marathon, half-marathon and 5K won’t approach those numbers. Most of the field—comprising people of all ages and all walks of life—will be happy with setting a personal best, or even just finishing the race.
Marathon rookie Penny Bois of Espanola, Ont., is hoping to complete the race in less than 4½ hours.
“I started running for the first time about a year and a half ago to improve my health,” explained Bois. “A couple winters ago I decided to try a half marathon, and I’ve done four since then. I was never athletic, and I thought running a full marathon was unattainable, but I see now that it’s not.”
Some more experienced marathoners, including Sara Kraeker of Woodstock, Ont., have a more ambitious goal in mind.
“I need four hours or under [to qualify for the Boston Marathon],” Kraeker, 45, said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s the horizontal Everest in my mind, and I’ve always wanted to be able to day I did it.
“I feel healthy, I feel strong, but you never know. There’s always something on race day that you never planned for.”
Other veteran marathoners are running for more than just themselves. About 2,000 of the Toronto participants will be going the distance in support of various charities, which stand to receive an estimated $750,000 in donations.
“I’m running for Rose of Sharon, which is a support group for young teenage mothers,” said Doug Howland, a 47-year-old teacher from Holland Landing, Ont., who will be running his fourth marathon. “I figured if I could raise a few hundred dollars for them, that would be great.”