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Chasing that elusive runner’s high can be a different experience for everyone. One person may achieve the relaxed state of euphoria while jogging down a street in their neighborhood while another may never experience it at all. For many runners though, this sought-after flood of endorphins is sweetest after running especially long distances, be it a 10K, a half marathon, or one of the most coveted running achievements: the marathon.
What is a marathon?
A marathon is a long-distance foot race that’s usually run along roads or walkways, but also sometimes goes through busy cities, along popular beach trails, or over hilly or mountainous terrain. Every year, tens of thousands of people sign up for top marathons such as the Lisbon Marathon in Portugal, the Marathon du Médoc in France, the Berlin Marathon in Germany, or the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts.
The New York City Marathon and the London Marathon are considered the world’s largest marathons with about 47,700 and 48,000 finishers respectively each year. These especially popular marathons are usually the hardest ones to get into, so runners sometimes have to qualify with a good time in another marathon first.
What are the benefits of marathon running?
Long-distance running has many physical and mental health benefits including improved cardiovascular health, increased lung function, strengthened muscles, increased metabolism, stress reduction, improved immune function, weight management and a decreased risk of chronic disease, according to Austin “Ozzie” Gontang, a licensed psychotherapist and the director of the San Diego Marathon Clinic. He has completed 88 marathons himself and tells TODAY.com he’s experienced many such benefits firsthand.
Michael Fredericson, a practicing physician and director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation…
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