Marathoner’s- Why do you do it? What’s your motivation?
There are a few different types of marathoners. Some are the hobby joggers who can walk/jog for 6 hours and show off their medal and post about their "accomplishment" and get praise from others.
There are those who train to the limits of their physical abilities and time constraints and race to achieve a personal best.
Neither is particularly healthy. I admire the real racer.
Marathoner’s- Why do you do it? What’s your motivation?
WHY is the first thing you must master before even beginning to train for a marathon or an ultra. And 'WHY's', like beauty, are in the eyes of the beholder. WHY's are often a personal thing that some runners (me included) just as soon keep to themselves - because it belongs to them. And what drives me may not drive you and visa versa.
Pretty much everyone does the marathon to impress others. Almost nobody knows what a fast 5k or 10k time is but the marathon seems impressive, same with ultras. Its peer pressure really. They are not the optimal events for health or fitness but it is a somewhat easily achievable feat for the average hobby jogger to do so they can impress non-runners.
Do nonrunners know the difference between a 5km marathon and a 42.2km marathon?
Most people here run marathons to see how fast they can go or how high they can place. Your average participate does them because just completing the distance is hard. Non runners are more impressed at finishing a marathon versus a 5k. They don’t really distinguish difficulty of running fast versus slow.
Top ultra runners often have the same competitive reasons as the marathoners. They just like the terrain, trails, or long distance more. Your average ultra participant also does them because simply completing the distance is hard.