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Ever Wonder Why the Marathon is 26.2 Miles?

Writer's picture: Dr. Gregory Lowe PT, DPT, cert. MDT, CSCSDr. Gregory Lowe PT, DPT, cert. MDT, CSCS

BUFFALO MARATHON WEEKEND IS HERE!

 

In honor of the biggest running weekend in WNY, I figured I'd give a little history on the first ever marathon for those who may curious....

 

The initial idea for the marathon came from the legend of an ancient Greek messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens (a distance of about 40kM or 25 miles) delivering news of a victory in battle in 490 B.C.

 

The first recorded marathon was run in the Athens Olympics in 1896 (the first Olympic Games in the modern era) in honor of the heroic effort of the Greek messenger - the distance of this race was set right around 25 miles.

 

The first Boston Marathon was run just one year later in 1897 which is one of the reasons why Boston is such a historic race.

 

Interestingly, the marathon was increased to 26.2 miles during the 1908 London Olympics when the Queen requested that the start line be moved to the East Lawn of the Windsor Castle so the royal children would be able to spectate from their residence.

 

And ever since then, 26.2 miles has been the official standard length of the marathon as we know it today.

 

It's estimated that approximately 1.1 million people run a marathon each year which is only about 0.01% of the global population...pretty impressive if you ask me!

 

I love getting the opportunity to work with runners of all levels from brand new beginners to elite Olympians because I am a runner too...I understand the ins/outs of what you go through on a daily basis!

 

I understand why you run an extra 0.03 miles so that you can finish at an even 5 miles for the day (why on earth would you stop at 4.97).

 

I understand the mental and emotional struggles of being unable to run due to an injury.

 

I understand both the joy of hitting an "A-goal" and the frustration of not achieving what you though was your potential on the day.

 

Here at AWAKEN, we provide expert-level rehab, 3-Dimensional running analysis, run coaching, and strength training designed specifically FOR RUNNERS, BY RUNNERS and we're confident you'll notice the difference!

 

Click the button below to reach out today, what do you have to lose!?

 

We'll set up a completely free, no obligation 15-20 min phone consultation that will give us time to understand more in depth about where you're coming from, what services you're interested in, and what your goals are!

 

From there, we'll schedule a time for an in-depth, thorough examination of how your whole body moves allowing us to determine the best place for us to start in order to decrease your injury risk and improve your performance!

 

Then we'll create a practical plan to start working together to AWAKEN YOUR POTENTIAL, it's that simple!



Photo of Coach Mackenzie after winning the Buffalo Half Marathon in 2018!


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