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Running Marathons Encourages A Healthier Lifestyle

By Spiridon Rafter

Running marathons is an event on many people’s bucket lists as they get older. Once you get into the routine of running a 5-k, the rest just seems like gravy. If you can do 3, then why not 23?

Some aficionados of long distance runs say they simply disassociate themselves from the task at hand and take themselves to a higher place on running day, but the most successful marathoners somehow find a way to review your options and keep focused on their stride, their breathing and their pain to finish the race in just over two hours.

This incredible sport is finding more favor with Americans over the age of 40 who want to prove it to themselves that they are masters over their own bodies. Yet, the question of how many of them will stick with it, remains.

Long Distance Running Improves Cardiovascular Fitness

There are many convincing reasons for running in a marathon. Just going the distance, no matter how fast, just leaves people "feeling good about themselves," says Jim Wharton. Continuing research suggests that consistent long distance running improves cardiovascular fitness and also lowers the risk of eye, prostate and organ failure.

Runners have less risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and deadly cancer. Running is also one of the best activities for stress relief and maintaining a sense of happiness and wellbeing. For many avid runners, there is a social aspect to attending races and the post-race parties that just can’t be beat.

A Lifetime Of Running

Unfortunately, the craze over running marathons is not enough to encourage Americans to live healthier lifestyles. Critics say that marathons are like sprints, in a long-term fitness sense, that participants get hyped up to do it -- but only once.

"If the marathon movement really got people at large to exercise, we wouldn’t have the problems we do," says Steven Blair, a veteran marathon runner and professor of public health at University of South Carolina.

It’s unknown how often a marathon experience prompts individuals to continue a lifetime of running. The "true marathon" is the race that lasts for decades, fitness experts conclude.

Average Runner May Take Five To Seven Hours To Finish

There are varying levels of intensity when running marathons. Khalid Khannouchi ran his record-breaking nonstop marathon in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 38 seconds. However, there is no set rule that participants have to keep running the entire way.

Fast marathon runners can finish the race in 3.5 hours, but the average coach potato-turned-runner will take 5-7 hours on the course. Participants who are set to finish 8-9 hours from the start are usually taken off the track for safety reasons with the memory of running floating around their dizzy heads.

This Article was about Running Marathons.

Please Note: All information given on this site is for general information purposes and is not to replace any medical opinion or medical diagnosis given by a qualified medical doctor, a dietitian/nutritional expert or any other medical expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see your medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.

About the Author:
Spiridon Rafter is an author of exercise, diet and nutrition articles including Gatorade Sports Drink, Home Gym Equipment, Treadmill Vs Elliptical, Sports Drink Market, Bowflex Home Gym.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles coming soon.

More Facts About Running

How can I turn my love of running from a hobby or exercise into a career?
You may like running. You may even love it but that does not mean you can turn it into a career just because it is a passion. If you are going to turn your exercise into a profession you are going to have to be able to stand out in the crowd.

This may mean intense training for running long distances such as in marathons or triathlons. Another way is to try competitions that are held. You have to be able to either run very long distances or be very fast. Most competitions are trials held for events such as the Olympics.