why do people in their 30s and 40s run marathons?

These kinda snarky comments are what make LRC a laughable discussion board..unless you have a gold medal from an olympic marathon around your neck..who are you to judge? It's clowns like you that only see running as a time based spectacle and unless you PR you're probably the type to also let your whole day fall apart..I just can't rationalize in my head why it offends so many of these LRC professionals to question why people want to experience something that is rewarding and challenging, all because their time might be "slower".. well if you lined up against real elites, I am guessing your time would be lapped over too..all perspective there buddy.

Because 20 somethings always lose to 30-40s in marathons.

areusure? wrote:

Because 20 somethings always lose to 30-40s in marathons.

This. Anyone can hop in a 5k and run a fast time if they're young and talented, but marathons always take work and mental strength.

I know competitive runners are aware that 5k training and racing can be tougher or tougher sometimes than marathons, but for non-competitive runners, the longer distance is a bigger challenge for them if they don't care about their times.

Ok honestly it just doesn't matter. If it gets you out of bed in the morning stoked you are doing the right thing. Slow or fast is irrelevant.

*op' you will walk a similar path to this....it's just a big cycle.

When I was a kid I was stoked to go to six-flags...then play soccer...then run the mile...shorty after that to find a girl...ran for awhile again to impress the girl...a few marathons...then climb...then climb big mountains...then small rocks..then make some money...the bike riding...bike racing...and somewhere around 38 years old the marathon started sounding fun again...there's something about running big epic events. It's just a process.

Not Fast but Furious wrote:

People in their 30s and 40s run marathons for the sole reason of telling other people they run marathons.

It's pretty obvious. The average person has no idea what a good time is so any marathon is impressive and only former high school and college runners even know what a good 5K time is.

You might as well ask why do fat people run at all while you're at it.

For the most part this ^

I get angry when people talk about how "good" someone is because they run marathons. Or ultra's!!! They MUST be good- they run far!!!

Nice lol

Yeah, about that... wrote:

Not Fast but Furious wrote:

People in their 30s and 40s run marathons for the sole reason of telling other people they run marathons.

Ding-ding-ding! We have a winnah!

I got away from running marathons in my 30s then did a few in my 40s and one in my 50s. I actually didn't tell anyone I'd run them other than people who needed to know, e.g. my wife and kids, who'd have wondered where I was for the weekend.

Why did I go back to running marathons at those ages? For the same reasons I'd run them in my teens and twenties, to see how fast I could go and because you definitely do not get the same feeling from running a 5 or 10 km as you do from running a marathon even if you run well at those shorter distances. The marathon is much more consuming and satisfying, at least to many of us.

biogen wrote:

some of us played real sports when we were younger and got into running later in life?

This is often the answer. And, that good feeling from big workouts and races never gets old for some of us.

lovin' sam wrote:

johnny bean wrote:

if you don't run competitive times and you're not fast why even bother training for something so time consuming and just run a 5k? you get the same experience and it can be just as grueling but costs almost nothing. most marathons are expensive and if you don't run at least a 21 min 5k marathon pace is just going to be incredibly slow jogging and inevitably stopping every couple miles. i hate when i see women that have social media accounts that say things like "marathon mom! i

Same reason I still pump your mom and the same reason your mom just pierced her labia... you'll get there, if you're lucky, chithead.

Do you like pumping 73 year old women?

johnny bean wrote:

if you don't run competitive times and you're not fast why even bother training for something so time consuming and just run a 5k? you get the same experience and it can be just as grueling but costs almost nothing. most marathons are expensive and if you don't run at least a 21 min 5k marathon pace is just going to be incredibly slow jogging and inevitably stopping every couple miles. i hate when i see women that have social media accounts that say things like "marathon mom! i

Because we can.

People think it's a bucket list thing and an accomplishment that defines them as a determined individual. I do agree some people do it for attention. But many see it as a real challenge, especially the training involved before the race itself. Time seems irrelevant to them, finishing is the goal/accomplishment. No wonder mediocrity is so widely celebrated and accepted in this country.

johnny bean wrote:

if you don't run competitive times and you're not fast why even bother training for something so time consuming and just run a 5k? you get the same experience and it can be just as grueling but costs almost nothing. most marathons are expensive and if you don't run at least a 21 min 5k marathon pace is just going to be incredibly slow jogging and inevitably stopping every couple miles. i hate when i see women that have social media accounts that say things like "marathon mom! i

Well, I don't completely disagree with your logic. But I started running marathons at age 30 without a running background and progressed fairly well, knocking about an hour off my time. But I'm 41 now and the PRs don't come so easily anymore and I, too, question whether it is worth to sludge along training to knock 45 seconds off my PR. To be honest, it's not fun anymore. I'll probably give it one or two more trys for a lifetime PR and then just run for fun.

If 80-100 dollars a few times a year is a big deal in your 30s and 40s then that really sucks

I ran my one and only marathon at age 34 (currently in my mid-50s). I was dealing with a miserable job experience by running a lot, and after one particularly bad day at the office, I ran 18 miles, which was my personal record at the time. The local marathon was only a few months away, so I decided to run it that year because I always wanted to run a marathon at least once. I will probably never do it again, but I'm glad I did it that once. Marked it off my bucket list. As for why people continue to run as they get older....I suspect that as you look back on your life, you will find that the best times of your life were when you were very fit. Running is an anti-depressant and to some degree a fountain of youth. You have to keep challenging yourself. It's really easy to hit the bong and just watch TV all evening. On the other hand, I will probably never enter a race longer than a 10k again.

I ran XC and track in junior high and then ditched running for band in HS. I studied music in college and played professionally for about five years before going to law school. I had many fits and starts trying to get back into running from college up until law school. I finally got back to running regularly in law school and did some 5ks. I met an old lady at an antique show who noticed my road race T-shirt. She ran marathons and told me I should join a training group and run a marathon. So, for me, I ran marathons in my 30s because an old lady told me to.

For the majority of people, it is a bucket list thing and also a good way to keep the pounds off. The marathon is a big event. 5ks are not. The camaraderie of running groups is also a big draw.

For me, it was the best way to get back into running. I needed a big goal to keep me motivated through all the aches and pains you go through when you get your body back in shape. Previously, I will just quit running for months after I got shin splints or runner's knee. With marathon training, I was forced to stick with it.

Starting in my 30s had the unintended consequence of running my best times in my early 40s. I was able to get masters elite entries at some races, which was fun even though I was usually the slowest of the masters elite runners. But over the course of about ten years of running marathons (16 total), I really enjoyed the process of training and getting faster each time out. I am probably retired from the marathon now that I have kids and cannot run a 20 miler on Saturday morning and still be able to keep up. But running marathons was an adventure and I was lucky to run some decent times and go to big races.

This is a strange question in many ways.

But, I will answer it in a way that encapsulates a lot of different things.

First, let me explain that I prefer the marathon. I have walked 2 of them and run/walked 4.

I have also done half marathons, 10Ks, 8Ks and 5Ks.

Here is where I see the difference.

By the time you are in your 30s and 40s, the "momentous" occasions generally end. People are not going to look to drive you into competitive sports or view you as a serious athlete anymore if you do not have a pro, or semi-pro, background by the time you are 30.

This leaves the human spirit to have to find a self-disciplined, self-motivated, self-draining medium to help perpetuate the life that many aspiring athletes have had.

Yes, still athletes. So, there is no better place to take on that challenge than the marathon, and, for some, the half marathon.

Even when you don't set a PR, sometimes you will be thrilled at the finish if the course or day is difficult. (goal: 3:14, finish 4:09)

Conversely, sometimes when you DO set a PR, the body will feel so drained and broken that you could not care less WHAT your time was. (1/2 marathon goal 1:45, finish 1:41)

Nothing lets you go through the highs and lows like a marathon or half marathon, except maybe mountain climbing or the like; this is our mountain. And, on some courses, there IS a mountain, or what seems like one (I see you AFC Half).

10Ks are nice, especially when you PR, 8Ks are good too

5Ks can be large, like the Carlsbad 5000, or small and they are fun.

But a marathon and a half marathon are more than just speed, time, and sweat.

It's speed [which will switch], time [good or bad], sweat [in uncountable amounts], scenery, pitch difference, hills, breathing difference, a lot of fresh air, friends, memories, sympathy, empathy, and overall zest for life.

This is why many people who are older decide to do this. They aren't pushed into it for a medal, placing or future career goal. It's because we are mature enough to have chosen it.

Thank you,

Mike

Current Road Racer [5K to marathon] 2006 (at 32) to current

I'm an old fat hobbyjogger. A 5k for me is kind of boring - it's just a warmup and for 30 minutes I run next to my spouse and we finish together and go get brunch and move on with our day. (Honestly I think the 5k is the most dangerous of races because of jerks like the OP who try to cut in front of runners and trip them on accident, or selfie assh0les.)

The marathon (or half, or 50k) is something that's done for fun as well - but it's a good short term goal to focus on. I'm never going to drop a time that's respectable to people here - nor do I care to. It's good exercise and a good way for me to see new places and talks with others while running. I like people watching during a race. And when I get done, I put the medal in a box with the rest of the medals and go home and sleep on the couch with my dog. I don't post photos on social media or buy "another 26.2 sticker" - it's for me.

By the way, while I totally agree with this sentiment, this quote is just so telling about our sport. In what other sport do we measure our success by the degree to which we are willing to withstand suffering? It really is kind of obscene; but it is still the sport I love.

Masterblaster13 wrote:

The work ethic to run a marathon regardless of pace can be a monumental achievement. Suffering is suffering.

johnny bean wrote:. i hate when i see women that have social media accounts that say things like "marathon mom! i

Angry at dad's new girlfriend?