How Long Is A Marathon
How Long Is A Marathon
The distance of a marathon is almost as long as its' history. In ancient Greek times, a soldier was sent from Marathon to Athens to relay that the Persians won the Battle at Marathon. Legend has it that he ran the whole distance without stopping. The modern definition of a marathon is a running competition of 42.195 kilometers, or 26 miles and 385 yards. This length standard is new to the 21st century. Previously, all that mattered was that all of the runners ran an equally long distance. Even on the Olympic level, the length varied by the location. For the difficulty of the event, the definition of what terrain to run a marathon is also seemingly ambiguous. Marathons can be run on either a road or a course, such as one winding through mountains or running along water. So the question of how long is a marathon does not have one single answer because of the definition changing over time.
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How Long Is A Half Marathon
A half marathon is exactly what it sounds like- half of the distance of a regular marathon. Therefore, the distance of a half marathon is 21, 097.5 meters or 13 miles and 192.5 yards. Usually half marathons are run on roads and not on other treacherous terrain. Half marathons often run concurrently with full marathons that use roads for the course, but the half marathons have an earlier finish line. Usually there is no qualifiers that would limit anybody from entering a half marathon. People who run half marathons usually do it for personal reasons, and not the glory associated with winning. Half marathon (and sometimes full marathon) runners look more so at their personal records rather than world records for a sense of accomplishment.
How Long Is The Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is a regular marathon distance, clocking in at 26 miles and 385 yards. The next Boston Marathon, in 2008, is Monday, April 21st. This marathon is among one of the most competitive marathons because it requires non-professional runners to meet a certain running time in order to qualify. The marathon has also become famous because of people cheating to win it, notably Rosie Ruiz, who blended in with the crowd for most of the race before emerging toward the end to win the race. It also has a difficult terrain, with a part of the course named "heartbreak hill" because of its steep upward slope. The Boston Marathon also has many divisions of its race, such as a wheelchair race and a men and women's division.
