5 Interesting Facts about Marathon

Marathon has gained significant importance in the past few years because of its enormous physical as well as mental benefits. Marathon in India, as well as the world, has a significant legacy behind it. A lot of participants hailing from different parts of India participate in the marathon every year. Let us know about five interesting facts about marathon.

History Of Marathon 

As every event has a significant origination, marathon is no different. It is believed that a Greek messenger Pheidippides ran for nearly 40.25 KM [25 miles] to deliver the message about invading Persian army in 490BC. He succumbed to death immediately after delivering this message. This death, however, happened because he was dressed in heavy armour which made it difficult for him to breathe.

Marathon In India

The Pune Marathon took place in 1983. After this event, there was a slow growth in marathons; the Standard Charter Mumbai Marathon started in 2004. Half marathons has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Some of the famous marathoners of India are Lalita Babar, ShivaNath Singh, Gopithonakal, Shudha Singh, etc. earlier. Reaching the particular spot and running on the tracks was very difficult as connectivity to the location where the marathon took place was not present in all districts and states. However, nowadays things have become comparatively easier because of the existence of virtual marathons. Virtual Marathons are those events where one need not be present at the venue where the marathon is taking place and can participate from their location, like HDOR. One needs to wear a fit band or a mobile app, and start the marathon. The tracking stats are sent to the organizing committee after you reach a certain distance.

Standardisation Of Marathon 

Nowadays we know this sport as a race within a distance of 42.195 KM but this standardization did not happen until 1921; however, this sport is one of the original Olympic events since the year 1896. 

Worldwide Popularity 

This sport has gained massive popularity and today more than 800 marathons take place in the world. Association of International Marathons and Races (AIMR) has conducted marathons in several places in Chicago, New York city, London, Berlin and Boston. 

The Participation of Women 

Although this sport started a long time ago, the inclusion of women happened a lot later. Stamata Revithi ran in the 1896 marathon but it was not recorded in the official records. Mari Louisse Ledru was the first woman who ran a marathon in 1918 and Violet Piercy who ran in 1926 was the first female who timed in the marathon.

These were some facts about the sport that has gained massive popularity worldwide. In the modern world with concepts like ‘global village’ we often find corporates delivering important messages through marathon runners. A lot of marathons that occur around the world are run to spread awareness. Thus, this is not just a mere sport but goes way beyond it.