“If
you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a
marathon.” - Emil Zatopek
--
People often comment to me, “You ran a Marathon – how long is that?”
“26.2 miles” I
reply
“Wow, 26 miles.”
They often comment back.
“No, 26.2 miles” I
reply
They usually answer
back with “Yeah, 26 miles – that’s what I said.”
--
It is generally a
lost cause for further discussion beyond that point, however if you've ever ran
a Marathon then you can relate.
Historically the 26.2 mile distance was
established at the 1924 Olympics in Paris, France as the official marathon
distance. Mathematically 26.2
miles is equal to 26 miles plus 385 yards, or 42.16 kilometers. Furthermore, anyone can run 26 miles, but the
.2 is a defining moment.
At the 26 mile
marker you can see the finish line, but at that point it looks just as far away
from when you stood at the start line, but you persist on. The mind becomes racing with thoughts – will
I set a new personal record (PR)? Why is
there always an incline at the end of the course? Why do people always yell “You’re almost
there” when we all know almost does not count?
.2 miles or 385
yards does not seem like a long distance when you say it so you make like a
bullet and run as fast as you can. You
still see the finish line, but it appears as a banner in front of you as if you
were running on a treadmill looking at it.
You misjudged how far that .2 actually is to be running so fast, but you
can’t slow down now. Seconds later, the
moment you've waited for arrives and you cross the finish line.
--
As you can see
there is a lot more to that .2 distance so the next time you hear a runner say
the Marathon is 26.2 miles don’t round down to 26. And if you’re still not convinced, throw on
your sneakers and experience the Journey yourself and you’ll see just how
significant that .2 is.
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