Marathon Long Form

Arlene Pieper – Meet The First U.S. Woman Marathon Runner

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Running history often notes Roberta Gibb and Kathrine Switzer as among the first American women to run a marathon. However, seven years before Gibb hid in the bushes and snuck into the Boston Marathon in 1966 and eight years before Switzer ran Boston as K.V. Switzer in 1967, Arlene Pieper had finished the Pikes Peak Marathon in … Read more

The Complete Story of The Sub 2 Hour Marathon

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The Sub 2 Hour Marathon was finally beaten by Eliud Kipchoge in 2019 – here’s the inside story of the man and the team who broke the impossible… When Roger Bannister ran a mile in 3.58.60 in Oxford, England on 6th May 1954, the once-believed impossible feat of running under four minutes for the mile … Read more

Who is Eliud Kipchoge? The World’s Fastest Marathon Runner

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They say the pen is mightier than the sword. In the case of Eluid Kipchoge, the lack of either didn’t stop him from beginning his journey that would eventually lead to him being considered the greatest marathoner runner of all time. When he was 18, he was offered a training plan by prominent coach Patrick … Read more

5 Valuable Life Lessons You Learn From Marathon Running

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Training for a marathon, and then running 26.2 miles, is as much a mental journey as it is a physical one. It can be gruelling and unrewarding, then euphoric and life-affirming all within the same single run. In many ways, marathons are a great metaphor for life: it’s long, there’s often discomfort, but perseverance and … Read more

How The Ugandans Train For a Marathon

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In this post, endurance athlete and coach Mark Callaghan shares his experiences training in Uganda, and how the runners there train for a marathon. Mark is involved with Run Kapchorwa, a running tourism project which supports and promotes community sport development. East African athletes have dominated the endurance running scene since the 1990’s. Kenyan and … Read more

Running A Marathon Isn’t Meant To Be Easy

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Have you signed up for a marathon recently? Marathon training and running your 26.2 miles isn’t going to be easy. But then, it’s not meant to be easy. If it were, everyone else would do it. Running a marathon is meant to be hard. And that’s maybe the greatest reason to run one. Of course, … Read more

8 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Run A Marathon

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Our counter argument against the marathon – a call to action for everyone who just wants to run for the sake of running. People put a lot of weight into the significance of running a marathon. It’s an achievement that is universally applauded, a badge of honour.  You even get a big, shiny medal at the … Read more

How Eliud Kipchoge Trains for a Marathon

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Ever wondered how Eliud Kipchoge trains for a marathon? After setting a new world record for the marathon in Berlin last year, there can be little argument that Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest marathon runner the world has ever seen. When Eliud ran a 2:01:39 at the Berlin Marathon in 2018, he beat the previous record by … Read more

The Story of My First Marathon – Stanley, Falkland Islands

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Most of what I write on this site is marathon advice and information, but today I thought I’d share the story of my own first marathon.    I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot of lessons, but in the end, that first marathon is what catalyzed me to run dozens more in … Read more

The 15 Emotional Stages of Marathon Running

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Anyone who says running a marathon is all about physical fitness doesn’t know squat. Marathon running is as much of a mental journey as it is a physical one. Over the 26.2 miles, you experience a crazy deluge of emotions. Here, I’ve broken a marathon down into the 15 typical emotional stages that nearly all … Read more

Why Is A Marathon 26.2 Miles Long? History Of Marathon Distance

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Whether you’re in marathon training mode or simply curious about the history of the event, the answer to the question ‘Why Is A Marathon 26.2 Miles Long?’ is not as straightforward as it seems. For starters, the exact distance of a marathon is 26.2188 miles, or 42.195 kilometers. Not exactly a common distance, is it? … Read more

The Post-Marathon Blues

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Completing a big challenge such as a marathon is a huge accomplishment, but can often be followed by a feeling a bit low. Let’s look at what causes the Post-Marathon Blues, and what active steps you can take to avoid them affecting you too much after your big day. Buzz Aldrin was the second person … Read more