Marathon distance at the Olympic Games. Running distances. Marathon and interesting facts. Marathon - interesting facts

As everyone knows, running distances are logically divided into short, medium and long. The discipline of ultra running stands a little apart. long distances.

Sprint races for short distances do not exceed 400 meters. In medium distance running up to 3,000 meters, may include a variety of disciplines, including steeplechase. Engaging exclusively in short-distance sprinting is the lot of Olympic professionals due to its specificity.

Long distance running

We are interested in long-distance running, which, according to generally accepted opinion, begins after 3 km, or rather, 2 miles = 3,218 meters. However, we all love marathons to category long distance running are not officially included because they are not held at the stadium, but in the open air. Therefore, the classic marathon distance 42 km 195 m It's simply called a "marathon".

Popular long-distance running disciplines included in the programs of the Olympic Games and World Athletics Championships are 5 000 And 10,000 meters. Please note that running distances for which competitions are held inside the stadium are usually measured in meters. At the same time, such outdoor races are measured in kilometers.

When the conversation turns to starting running, what we mean is distance running. Up to participation in amateur marathons. It is thanks to him that we radically change our lifestyle and with our feet we create excellent conditions for the healing of the whole body. Long distance running is of interest to anyone who struggles with... overweight, stress or strengthens your cardiovascular system and immunity. Sometimes it is simply called - long run.

Marathon. History, distance and rules

The meaning of the word “marathon” comes from the name of the Greek city of Marathon in Attica and is associated with the legend of a Greek warrior who ran to Athens with news of victory. However, according to historians who dug up documentary sources, this was not entirely true and not quite there.

But this did not prevent the marathon from being included as a discipline in the Olympic Games and the first official race being held along the Marathon-Athens route in 1896. True, this distance fits into 34.5 km. In general, the distance of the first marathons varied quite a lot, both downward and upward. And only in the 1920s did it settle down and was officially accepted as 42.195 km.

Modern rules dictate that the marathon is held on asphalt roads. But there are a huge variety of cross-country races, sometimes with quite difficult terrain and in extreme conditions, also called marathons. Even though the distance may differ greatly from the generally accepted one.

Half marathon

There is another one of the most popular distances - half marathon. Accordingly, this 21 km 97.5 m. The half marathon is one of the milestones in the training of amateur runners, who just a few months ago could not run even a kilometer.

At almost any running competition, half marathons are also held in parallel with the marathon for those who full distance It's still hard to run. Among runners, a half marathon is simply called half.

Ironman triathlon running

The marathon is an integral third element of extreme triathlon competitions Ironman. Accordingly, after a 3.8-kilometer swim (sometimes in icy water) and after a 180-kilometer road cycling race, to bear the title “ iron man", you still need to run 42 kilometers. A good result will be if you do it within 12 hours. But for starters, it would be great to even get to the finish line.

Ultramarathon

Special running discipline - ultramarathon. There are no clear restrictions: anything over 42.195 km is an ultramarathon. And although the most frequent competitions are held at distances 50 And 100 km, often ultramarathons are first laid out on the map, and then they look at how many it turned out to be. The duration of such titanic tests can last more than one day, and in the most unsuitable conditions for this.

Almost all ultramarathons are closely related to such a discipline as trailrunning, because most of the routes run over rough terrain.

After the first purposeful and conscious run in your life, it’s hard to resist setting sports goals. And if at least one of them is achieved, then the person can no longer be stopped. And that's great. But if running has an exclusively health-improving purpose, then you shouldn’t once again cross the line of your capabilities and throw yourself headlong into extreme loads.

Both professional athletes and ordinary long-distance running enthusiasts can conquer the marathon distance; the main thing is to know the main features of this sports discipline. The 42 km marathon is the most popular among runners. Here you can show all your skills and abilities. Many professional athletes overcome this distance every day

Now similar marathons are periodically held on various continents. Anyone can take part, the main thing is to submit an application on time and submit everything to the organizers Required documents. Many people sign up as participants in such marathons in advance and then purposefully begin to prepare for this event several months before the start.

Long distances are considered prestigious in sporting circles, which is part of the reason why the 42km marathon is so popular among runners. Behind long years existence of this discipline, several records were set, including by age, by time and related physical features bodies.

In 490 BC, one of the largest military confrontations between the Greeks and the Persians took place in the struggle for the independence of ancient Greek civilization. The battle took place near the small town of Marathon, located approximately 42 km from the capital of Greece, Athens. When the battle was over, one of the soldiers was sent to the main headquarters in Athens to report the Greek victory. Pheidippides ran the whole way without stopping, exhausted from thirst and exhaustion. Having come running, he only managed to shout about victory, after which he fell dead.

The general public learned about this story only more than 500 years later. The legend was described by the famous ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch in one of his works “The Glory of Athens”. In fact, this story is considered a fairy tale or simply an embellished chronicle of real events.

Plutarch retold in his own words the events that were once described in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. He was practically a contemporary of those years and had the opportunity to make notes based on the stories of direct participants in those military events. According to him, Pheidippides served as a messenger and during the battle he was sent for help from Athens to Sparta, that is, he had to cover a distance of about 230 km without long stops. According to stories, the messenger managed to run in two days, after which he died.

From the point of view of the veracity of history, Herodotus' version sounds more preferable. However, now, speaking about the origins of the marathon distance, everyone remembers exactly the version described by Plutarch. This explains why the marathon is 42 km, and not the same 230 km. In addition, stayers run such distances with great optimism.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. The famous French figure Michel Breal made a proposal that upcoming competitions marathon distance was included. This idea was happily supported by the first founder of the new Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin.

The race did not take place in the stadium, but along the famous route between Athens and the city of Marathon. Then Spiridon Louis won, who was subsequently perceived as a national hero in his homeland in Greece. At that time, the marathon distance was 40 km, Louis showed a result of 2:58.50 hours. Having correctly distributed his forces along the distance, he was able to come first due to the fact that the athletes who were in the lead could not maintain the fast pace and left the race.

Women were able to take part in the marathon for the first time in 1984, when the 23rd Olympic Games took place in the United States in Los Angeles.

Since the first Olympic Games, it has been customary to put marathon running at the end of the entire competitive program. Sometimes the race is held a few hours before the end of the Olympics, but it also happens that the marathon ends right during the closing ceremony of the Games. Required condition It is that the finish line must be on the territory of the stadium where all athletics competitions were held. It is noteworthy that this tradition is still followed. For example, during the 2004 Olympics, the distance and, accordingly, the finish line exactly corresponded to the first marathon in modern history in 1896.

Video motivation for a 42 km marathon:

Features of the marathon

Initially, at the first Olympic Games the distance was 40 km, but then in 1924 it was decided to make the marathon 42 km 195 m. This distance length is official, certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations, and cannot be less than or exceeded by more than one tenth of a percent .

Officially established world records were not taken into account by the world organization IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) until the end of 2003. The International Association of Marathons and Endurances has insisted that IAAF representatives pay attention to long-distance races and begin to keep statistics on victories and established records, otherwise they would keep their own list. Thus, the marathon became a generally accepted sports discipline, the records of which began to be recognized by the world athletics organization.

For a new world record to be recognized, the course must fully comply with the rules and regulations established by the IAAF. Despite this, currently marathon distances differ quite greatly from each other depending on the place where the races are held. Elevation changes, road surfaces, weather conditions - all this does not make it possible to objectively evaluate the athletes’ results. As a rule, there are a number of components that make a marathon the most effective.

A significant role in long-distance running is played by the so-called pacemakers - athletes who set a certain running pace. For example, in 2003, Paula Radcliffe became the best among women at the London Marathon. Then she ran the distance, accompanied by male pacemakers, in 2:15.25 hours. Without their participation, she covered this distance in 2:17.42 hours. The difference is quite significant for marathon races, but both results became world records among women.

Among men, athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya are considered the best marathon runners. 10 most fast runners from these countries. top scores Here was shown by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto, who was able to run the Berlin Marathon in 2:02.57 hours. Basically, athletes show all the most significant results in Berlin or London. Marathons in Dubai, Rotterdam and Chicago are also popular among women.

Despite the difficulty of the distance, the 42-kilometer marathon has gained its popularity among professional athletes, and among amateur runners. Many outstanding marathon runners undertake such races not only with the goal of setting another world record, but also in order to take part in various charity events.

Marathon - olympic discipline athletics program.

The classic marathon is a race over a distance of 42 kilometers 195 meters. Marathon running has become one of the popular types athletics Worldwide. Nowadays, many marathons are held, both in Russia and abroad. There are the most different types marathon starts from amateur races to world championships with a high prize fund.

The half marathon distance, half marathon, is also a popular distance in road running. World half marathon championships are held and world records are set.

What is a marathon, what is its history, where did the name come from, how was the length of the distance determined?

Marathon history

As the legend of Marathon says, a Greek warrior named Philippides in 490 BC. e. after the battle of Marathon, he fled without stopping from Marathon to Athens to report the victory of the Greeks. Having reached Athens, he managed to shout: “Rejoice, Athenians, we have won!” and fell dead. The legend that he ran from Marathon to Athens first appeared in Plutarch's essay "The Glory of Athens" in the first century AD.

Marathon distance

In 1896 the International Olympic Committee The distance from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens was measured. It was 34.5 km. At the first modern Games in 1896 and at the 2004 Games, marathon runners ran a distance from Marathon to Athens.

Initially, the length of the marathon distance was chosen quite arbitrarily. At the first Olympic Games, marathon runners ran 40 km.

At the 1908 London Olympics, the starting point was moved from mile 25 to 26 miles 385 yards (42 km 195 meters) so that the Royal Family could comfortably watch the runners from the windows of Windsor Castle. At the first seven Olympics there were 6 marathon distances from 40 to 42.75 km.

42.195 km as the official length of the marathon was established in 1921 by the International Amateur Athletics Federation.

Marathon running

The main features of running marathon distances are a constant pace, maintaining a sufficient amount of water and nutrients in the body. There are food stations with water, energy drinks, and food (bananas, dried fruits, etc.) along the marathon course.

Even for experienced athlete running a marathon is hard exercise stress. Competent preparation for the marathon - the most important condition success.

Marathon preparation program

You shouldn't run a marathon while training. Typically, long training at the end of preparation is no more than 35 km.

If you've decided to take it to the next level and run your first marathon, this is a very real challenge. But you need to prepare properly.

How to prepare for a marathon

If you are already an experienced runner who has mastered shorter distances of 10 km and a half marathon, then based on the already mastered pace of multi-kilometer running, you will need to accustom your body to maintain speed in conditions of depletion of carbohydrate and fluid reserves. Which is usually enough in half, and the result is ensured by the ability to maintain the maximum possible intensity of the load, fully provided by oxygen consumption. (The so-called ANSP or AnP mode).

At the marathon, the speed is several percent lower, but the main obstacle is the background of resource depletion, the so-called wall, after 30-35 km.

Ways to overcome it are to increase the efficiency of the body's work by using long distances of the order of 32-33 km, usually once a week.

And also, special targeted nutrition regimens before and after training.

A qualified trainer will prepare detailed personal training plans for you. Specifically, an honored coach of Russia works with our team, who practically from scratch trained a whole galaxy of world and European ultramarathon champions, Russian champions and champions in half marathon, cross-country and mountain running.

Marathon preparation from scratch for beginners

Above it is said about the preparation of runners with experience for their VT. and the first distance of 42 km 195 m

Well, preparation for a marathon for beginners does not begin with the fact that we immediately begin to prepare for this particular distance. First, you need to master the period of getting into running. Those. learn to run in slow mode just a few kilometers so that the pulse does not go off scale beyond 160 beats per minute.

When this milestone is mastered, you can move on to more fast pace until you feel the strength to compete in 5 or 10 kilometer competitions.

This is simply a commercial exploitation of the hidden reserves of your body.

The fact is that a person without serious illnesses, in most cases, with a strong desire, is able to overcome even a marathon, with minimal preparation, without any coaches!

Another thing is what it will cost. And not so much in terms of the hardships of the distance and poor completion time, but in the long-term consequences for health and further growth of results.

Therefore, aim for a marathon after you show passable results in the 10 and half marathon.

Preparing for a marathon in 6 months

Preparing for a 42km run in 6 months is acceptable for experienced runners who have already mastered half of it. During this time, you can manage to improve general physical training and, on its basis, increase the efficiency of the body’s work due to long training sessions and the actual cruising marathon pace of running, increasing the directly associated running speed in the PANO mode (see above).

Preparing for a marathon in 3

This is exactly the period of one full round of training for those who have already run a marathon and now want to improve their results, or for those who have already shown themselves well in the 10,000m, half marathon and thirty races.

Preparation for the marathon in 1 month

When there is a month left before the marathon, it is good if marathon endurance has already been achieved, and the strength potential of the muscles is not lost in the pursuit of too much training mileage. An experienced trainer will help you balance these 2 contradictory factors.

And if you managed to get into this state 4 weeks before the marathon, then it’s time to carefully work on increasing the pace of PANO (see above) and leave a week and a half for deloading in order to get to the start with a good supply of internal reserves of the body.

Now you are ready.

When is the best time to run a marathon?

To show as much as possible high result at the marathon, you need to choose best time start. Optimal temperature for marathon running about 14-16 °C. As the temperature rises, the result worsens by about 40-60 seconds per degree.

Types of marathons

Non-profit marathons are included in the program of the Summer Olympics, World Championships, Europe, etc.
Commercial marathons are held annually in the largest cities of the world. Commercial marathons are open to amateur runners.
Extreme marathons - races in the desert, at the North Pole, in the mountains, etc.

Photos of extreme marathons

Ultramarathon (ultramarathon) - a race less than a marathon distance

Daily running - here the distance is not the number of kilometers, but 24 hours. Whoever manages to run the most is the winner.

A multi-day race is a multi-day race, where each next day athletes start in accordance with the gap from the leader on the previous day.

Famous marathons in the world

Every year, about 800 marathon races are held around the world.

The most popular and prestigious marathons in the world:

• Boston Marathon
• Chicago Marathon
• London Marathon
• Tokyo Marathon
• Berlin Marathon

The number of marathon runners at the start exceeds 30 thousand.

The prize money for the 2008 Boston Marathon was $796,000, with $150,000 paid to the winner.

The winners of the Berlin Marathon in 2012 received $500,000.

It is considered an honor simply to take part in such a prestigious start together with the leading runners, joining the world athletics movement.

Main marathons in Russia

About 50 marathons are held in Russia every year. The most famous marathons in Russia:

• Moscow International Peace Marathon
• White Nights Marathon
• Siberian International Marathon

Marathon - interesting facts

On December 31, 2010, Alberta Canadian Martin Parnell, 55, a retired mine engineer, ran the marathon 250 times in one year, covering 10,550 km, wearing out 25 pairs of running shoes, at times in temperatures below minus 30C.

What do marathon runners think about?

About 40% of runners' thoughts were about distance and speed. Pain and discomfort occupied 32% of thoughts. Marathon runners complained about the appearance of calluses and muscle pain. The remaining 28% of thinking is observing your surroundings. The runners talked about nature, weather and other athletes.

MARATHON: TESTING YOUR ENDURANCE

Marathon is a sports discipline from the category of athletics. Simply put, this is a race over a distance of 42.195 kilometers. Today, the noun “marathon” has become a common noun; it is often used to describe any long runs that take place on rough terrain or in difficult conditions, including extreme ones.

Marathon history

Today, hundreds of thousands of people run marathons. Where the name “marathon running” came from is not known for certain. But there is a legend about the Greek warrior Philippides, who covered the distance from the Marathon Plain to Athens to inform the Athenians of the victory over the Persian troops. He had to run 23 miles, but, having announced the good news to the elders, the messenger fell dead. This event dates back to 490 BC. However, this race did not impress sports fans, so the program of the Olympic Games held in Ancient Greece, marathon running was not included. This is not surprising, since the hot climate and difficult terrain created additional difficulties for the athletes.

The history of marathon running began in Athens in 1869 - simultaneously with the revival of the Olympic Games. Marathon distance is the longest running distance, which is included in the programs of the largest sports competitions international format: world and European championships, Olympic Games.

Marathon like olympic event sports

The program of the first Olympic Games, held in Greece (1896), included a marathon. Since then, this marathon running has been a mandatory discipline at any Olympics. Over the history of the Olympic Games, the distance has changed several times. At the first games, the length of the marathon distance was forty kilometers. Victory in this race was fundamental for the Greeks, so they tried to do everything possible (and impossible) to get it. The winner of the first marathon was an athlete from Greece, Louis. He covered a distance of forty kilometers in 2:58:50 and immediately became a hero of the nation. True, the first triumphant marathon was the last for Louis, because after the Olympics he no longer participated in such races.

However, it was Louis’ record that spurred interest in this type of competition. The popularity of marathon running in America and Europe has grown rapidly. The duration of the distance increased several times. A constant distance of 42.195 km was introduced in 1924.

How to run a marathon olympic sport took on a deeper meaning. It was a test of endurance, a fight against one’s own body. The main disadvantage for runners was wearing thick equipment to keep the body warm. After decades of experimentation, long-distance runners began to wear lightweight clothing to the starting line.

The organization often failed. In the 1900 Olympic marathon, only eight athletes reached the finish line. At the next Olympic Games there were many scandals surrounding the marathon race. However, difficulties did not become an obstacle to the marathon and new records.

Marathon records

For almost twenty years, the Olympians failed to break the record set by the Australian Clayton at the Olympic Games in Antwerp (1969). He covered a distance of 42 kilometers in 2:08:33.

At the games in Beijing Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru improved this result by two seconds, setting new record 2:06:32. The athlete admitted that this result is the limit of his physical capabilities.

Today, the best world achievement is considered to be the record of Haile Gebrselassie, who completed the marathon distance in Berlin in 2008 in 2:03:59.

But records are meant to be broken. It is likely that marathon runners will be able to overcome the time limit of 2 hours with tremendous effort.

Text: Bogdan Zorin