Why the obsession with marathons?

Marathon registration is a capital offence for my runners. Long live the 5K!

from the general public's perspective, all the most famous races are marathons (Boston, New York, Chicago...). (People that don't run at all often don't seem to be aware that the marathon is always 42.195 km, by the way.)

Plus, the culture is the longer the race, the bigger the accomplishment.

Finally, even by reading the LRC message board, one could acquire the perspective that the marathon is a truly unique beast (not that I would know from experience), where even the best runners often wilt sometime in that last 10k.

It's because people think that they are doing something incredibly unique that few have ever done. This despite generally being surrounded by 40 000 people about to devote most of a day to doing the same thing.

The fact that you asked the question answers it for you.

People like to do "dangerous" things.

I stopped caring what people standing around the water cooler at work thought about my running a long time ago. And I primarily focus on marathons. Non-runners and the average mid pack runner have no clue what distance road racing is all about. I do not care that people are impressed by the person who is doing the 50 states marathon thing. I do not care that the first question from mid packers after a race is whether I BQ-ed, when the answer is that I crashed and burned, jogged out the last 6 miles and finished in 2:53.

It's a addiction you learn to love after your first. Once your body starts to shut down and you enter into that "Runners High". Good times, bad times.

I see what you and Precious Roy are saying. Yes, perhaps I should develop a "thicker skin" to the awkward/strange comments and questions, but the running = marathons thing still amazes me.

outsiderunner wrote:

I any case, I now just avoid discussing running.

Yet you started a thread about it on a running board.

True, but what I meant was that I have been avoiding such discussions among non-runners.

When I'm dragged into a running conversation with non runners, I tend to keep it along these lines, and it's usually not too painful:

-I do like to run. It's a fun challenge.

-It's generally a very positive community.

-The potential for continuous improvement over a number of years is much greater than many skill sports (golf or tennis for instance) that most people eventually get frustrated with.

-If you stick with it long enough, it does stop becoming punishment and starts becoming enjoyable.

-The idea that it destroys your knees is a total myth, unless you attempt to run through injuries for a long period of time.

-The speed and distances I run may sound very impressive, but they're not. Anyone who trains regularly for even 6 months to a year will be blown away at how much they improve and what now seems possible.

Sacre Bleu wrote:

It's because people think that they are doing something incredibly unique that few have ever done. This despite generally being surrounded by 40 000 people about to devote most of a day to doing the same thing.

Most newbies don't even know how to train, never mind train for a marathon. You see the same runners running the same marathons every year and failing every time because they overreach themselves. What's really frustrating is that some of them have inherent speed and could be relatively successful over shorter distances.

I did 2 marathons within 9 months of starting to run, so it's a case of do what I say, not what I do.

Scads of people think the terms triathlon and Ironman are interchangeable too.

Precious Roy wrote:

I stopped caring what people standiyoung around the water cooler at work thought about my running a long time ago. And I primarily focus on marathons. Non-runners and the average mid pack runner have no clue what distance road racing is all about. I do not care that people are impressed by the person who is doing the 50 states marathon thing. I do not care that the first question from mid packers after a race is whether I BQ-ed, when the answer is that I crashed and burned, jogged out the last 6 miles and finished in 2:53.

"Crash and Burn" This is classic, been there. But I have to ask if you borrowed this phrase from the "Crew". As in Motley

I like your approach, sparky.

I personally prefer the double pakermi to the mar-mar, but that's just me.

Respect da THON.

But I'm being cereal, it's just a big number so people think it's some amazing feat.

what ever happened to it being "whats your fastest mile?"

I do respect the 'thon--immensely, in fact. I gather I could run one, but I do not want to run one unless I am confident that I could put in a respectable performance, and avoid injury, too. I will see how it goes for me in the half.