मैराथन

प्रारंभ

मैराथन नाम फ़ेडिप्पिडिस नामक यूनानी धावक की किंवदंती से आया है। किंवदंती कहती है कि उन्हेंमैराथन से ऐथेंस यह घोषित करने के लिए भेजा गया था कि फ़ारसियों को मैराथन के युद्ध (जिसमें वह खुद भी लड़ रहा था) में हरा दिया गया है, यह ई.पू. 490 की अगस्त या सितंबर में हुई थी। कहा जाता है कि वह पूरे रास्ते बिना रुके दौड़ा और फिर सभा में प्रवेश करके बोला "Νενικήκαμεν" (नेनिकेकामेन, 'हम जीत गए।') और फिर गिर पड़ा और मर गया।
 मैराथन से ऐथेंस की दौड़ का पहला वृत्तांत प्लूटार्क की ऐथेंस कीर्ति में मिलता है, जो कि पहली सदी में लिखी गई थी और हेराक्लिडेस पॉण्टिकस की लुप्त कृति को संदर्भित करते हुए धावक का नाम एर्चियस या यूकल्स के थेर्सिपस बताती है। समोसाता का लूशियन (दूसरी सदी) भी यही कथा वर्णित करती है पर धावक का नाम फ़िलिप्पिडिस बताती है (फ़ेडिप्पिडेस नहीं)
इस किंवदंती की सच्चाई विवादास्पद है। यूनानी-फ़ारसी युद्धों के प्रमुख स्रोत, यूनानी इतिहासकार हेरोडोटस, फ़ेडिप्पिडिस को एक हरकारे के रूप में वर्णित करते हैं जो मदद का संदेश ले के एथेंस से स्पार्टा और वापस गए, यह दूरी एकतरफ़ा 240 किलोमीटर (150 मील) से भी ज़्यादा है। कुछ हेरोडोटस पांडुलिपियों में एथेंस से स्पार्टा के बीच दौड़ने वाले धावक का नाम फ़िलिप्पिडिस दिया गया है। हेरोडोटस मैराथन से एथेंस भेजे जाने वाले कि सी हरकारे का वर्णन नहीं करता है और यह कहता है कि एथेंस की सेना का मुख्य भाग, युद्ध जीतने के बाद फ़ारसी नौसेना की ओर से एथेंस पर हमला होने के डर से तुरंत वापस एथेंस पहुँच गए थे और उसी दिन वापस आ गए थे।
१८७९ में, रॉबर्ट ब्राउनिंग ने फ़िडिप्पिडिस नामक एक कविता लिखी थी।. ब्राउनिंग की कविता और उसके वर्णित गाथा उन्नीसवीं सदी की संस्कृति का हिस्सा बन गई और ऐतिहासिक किंवदंती के रूप में स्वीकृत हो गई।

रास्ता

पेंतेलिको पर्वत मैराथन और एथेंस के बीच में है, अर्थात यदि फ़ेडिपिडिस युद्ध के बाद वास्तव में दौड़ा था, तो उसे पहाड़ के किनारे से निकलना होता - उत्तर अथवा दक्षिण से। दक्षिण वाला रास्ता अधिक स्वाभाविक है और आधुनिक एथेंस-मैराथन राजमार्ग भी यहीं है, यह मैराथन खाड़ी के दक्षिण में तट के किनारे से चलता हुआ, कम लेकिन लंबी चढ़ाई की और पश्चिम की ओर ले जाता है और एथेंस के पूर्व में खत्म होता है, यह हिमेटुस और पेंतेली पर्वतों के बीच में से निकलता है और फिर थोड़ी ढलान के साथ एथेंस ले जाता है। यह रास्ता लगभग 42 किलोमीटर (26 मील) है और आधुनिक युग में यही इस दौड़ की मानक लंबाई है। लेकिन कुछ सुझाव यह हैं कि शायद फ़ेडिपिडिस ने कोई और रास्ता लिया हो सकता है - पेंतेली पर्वत के पूर्वी और उत्तरी चढ़ाइयों के बीच पश्चिम की ओर चढ़ के डायोनिसोस दर्रा पर जा के, एथेंस के लिए सीधे दक्षिण की ढलान ले के। यह रास्ता थोड़ा छोटा है, कुछ 35 किलोमीटर (22 मील), लेकिन इसमें शुरुआत में काफ़ी कठिन चढ़ाई है जिसकी लंबाई 5 किलोमीटर (3.1 मील) है।

आधुनिक ओलंपिक मैराथन

आधुनिक ओलंपिक का विचार जब १९वीं सदी के अंत में वास्तविकता बना तो आयोजक इसे लोकप्रिय बनाने के लिए प्राचीन यूनान के गौरव के जरिए इसे लोकप्रिय करने के तरीके खोज रहे थे। मैराथन दौड़ आयोजित करने का विचार मिशेल ब्रेयाल से आया जो कि इसे 1896 में एथेंस के प्रथम आधुनिक ओलंपिक खेल में शामिल करना चाहते थे। इस विचार को यूनानियों और आधुनिक ओलंपिक के संस्थापक पियरे दि कुबर्तिन द्वारा तगड़ा समर्थन मिला। यूनानियों ने प्रतियोगियों को चुनने के लिए 10 मार्च 1896 को एक दौड़ आयोजित की जिसे चारिलाओस वासिलाकोस ने 3 घंटे 18 मिनट में पूरी कर के जीता (इस प्रथम ओलंपिक के भावी विजेता ने भी इस चुनावी दौड़ को पूरा किया पर वे पाँचवे स्थान पर थे)। प्रथम ओलंपिक मैराथन के विजेता थे स्पिरिडोन "स्पिरोस" लुइस, जो कि एक यूनानी भिश्ती थे। उन्होंने 10 अप्रैल 1896 को यह दूरी 2 घंटे 58 मिनट और 50 सेकिंड में पूरी की। दौड़ केवल पुरुषों के लिए थी।
महिलाओं का मैराथन 1984 ग्रीष्म ओलंपिक (लॉस एंजेलेस, अमरीका) में शुरू हुआ और इसमें विजेता थीं संयुक्त राज्य की जोन बेनोइत, उन्होंने यह दूरी 2 घंटे 24 मिनट 52 सेकिंड में पूरी की।
आधुनिक खेलों की स्थापना के बाद से यही परंपरा रही है कि पुरुषों की ओलंपिक मैराथन अंतिम खेल होता है और इसका अंत ओलंपिक स्टेडियम में समापन समारोह के कुछ मिनट पहले ही या उसके दौरान होता है। 2004 के ग्रीष्म ओलंपिक में मैराथन से एथेंस तक दौड़ हुई और इसका अंत 1896 ग्रीष्म ओलंपिक के स्थल पनाथिनैको स्टेडियम में हुआ।
पुरुषों का ओलंपिक कीर्तिमान 2:06:32 है, यह 2008 ग्रीष्म ओलंपिक में कीन्या के सैमुअल कमाउ वंजिरु द्वारा स्थापित हुआ। महिलाओं का ओलंपिक कीर्तिमान है 2:23:14, जो कि जापान की नाओको ताकाहाशी द्वारा 2000 ग्रीष्म ओलंपिक में स्थापित हुआ।

आम बातें

Most participants do not run a marathon to win. More important for most runners is their personal finish time and their placement within their specific gender and age group, though some runners just want to finish. Strategies for completing a marathon include running the whole distance and a run-walk strategy. In 2005, the average marathon time in the U.S. was 4 hours 32 minutes 8 seconds for men, 5 hours 6 minutes 8 seconds for women.
Another goal people can aim for is to break certain time barriers. For example, recreational first-timers often try to run the marathon under four hours; more competitive runners may attempt to finish under three hours. Other benchmarks are the qualifying times for major marathons. The Boston Marathon, the oldest marathon in the United States, requires a qualifying time for all non-professional runners. The New York City marathon also requires a qualifying time for guaranteed entry, at a pace slightly faster than Boston's. A qualifying time is also needed for Washington D.C.'s National Marathon. However, unlike Boston, where the qualifying times serve to attract a more talented field and limit participation, the National Marathon is motivated more by the need to reopen city streets in a limited amount of time.

प्रशिक्षण

मैराथन प्रशिक्षण में लंबी दौड़ एक अहम चीज़ है। शौकिया धावक आमतौर पर अधिकतम 20 मील (32 किलोमीटर) दौड़ने की कोशिश करते हैं और पूरे हफ़्ते में कुछ 40 मील (64 किलोमीटर) दौड़ने की कोशिश करते हैं, लेकिन 
वास्तव में अभ्यास करने वाले अक्सर ऐसा नहीं करते हैं। अधिक अनुभवी मैराथनी ज़्यादा लंबी दूरी या हफ़्ते भर में अधिक किलोमीटर दौड़ सकते हैं। अधिक साप्ताहिक प्रशिक्षण किलोमीटरों से दूरी और क्षमता के लिहाज़ से ज़्यादा अच्छे नतीजे मिलते हैं, पर साथ ही प्रशिक्षण में चोट लगने की संभावना भी बढ़ जाती है। Most male elite marathon runners will have weekly mileages of over 100 miles (160 kilometres).
Many training programs last a minimum of five or six months, with a gradual increase (every two weeks) in the distance run and finally a little decrease (1 to 3 weeks) for recovery. The decrease, commonly called the taper, should last a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of three weeks, according to most trainers. For beginners wishing to merely finish a marathon, a minimum of 4 months of running 4 days a week is recommended. Many trainers recommend a weekly increase in mileage of no more than 10%. It is also often advised to maintain a consistent running program for six weeks or so before beginning a marathon training program to allow the body to adapt to the new stresses. The marathon training program itself would suppose variation between the hard and the easy training, with a periodization of the general plan.
Training programs may be found at Runner's World, Hal Higdon, Jeff Galloway, Boston Athletic Association and from numerous other sources.
Overtraining is a condition that results from not getting enough rest to allow the body to recover from stressful training. It can result in lowered endurance and speed and place a runner at a greater risk of injury.

During the last two or three weeks before the marathon, runners will typically reduce their weekly training, gradually, by as much as 50%-75% of previous peak volume, and take at least a couple of days of complete rest to allow their bodies to recover from any strong effort. The last long training run might be undertaken no later than two weeks prior to the event. This is a phase of training known as tapering. Many marathon runners also "carbo-load" (increase carbohydrate intake while holding total caloric intake constant) during the week before the marathon to allow their bodies to store more glycogen.

Immediately before the race, many runners will refrain from eating solid food to avoid digestive problems. They will also ensure that they are fully hydrated beforehand. Light stretching before the race is believed by many to help keep muscles limber. Some runners will wear an ice vest before the race to reduce their core temperature so as to avoid overheating later in the race.

दौड़ के दौरान

Coaches recommend trying to maintain as steady a pace as possible when running a marathon. Some advise novice runners to start out slower than their average goal pace to save energy for the second half of the race (negative splits). As an example, the first five to eight miles (8–13 km) might be run at a pace 15–20 seconds per mile slower than the target pace for later.
Typically, there is a maximum allowed time of about six hours after which the marathon route is closed, although some larger marathons (such as Myrtle Beach, Marine Corps and Honolulu) keep the course open considerably longer (eight hours or more).

तहज़ीब

Modern marathons such as New York, Chicago, London and Berlin have tens of thousands of runners and millions of spectators. Common courtesy for other runners becomes necessary when running in a densely packed crowd. Those employing a walk/run strategy or who are simply walking are encouraged to stay to one side, leaving the middle of the street for faster runners.
Runners in groups are encouraged not to block the entire street, preventing other runners from passing them. Two or three runners abreast is recommended. Large groups may consider single or double files.
Many marathons around the world have a time limit by which all runners must have crossed the finish line. Anyone slower than that will be picked up by the sweeper bus. In many cases the marathon event organization is required to re-open the roads to the public so that traffic can return to normal. Refusing to get on the bus could cause traffic hazards and would embarrass the organization.

पानी पीने से खतरे

While drinking fluids during the race is important for all runners, in some cases too much drinking can also be dangerous. Drinking more than one loses during a race can decrease the concentration of sodium in the blood (a condition called hyponatremia), which may result in vomiting, seizures, coma and even death. Eating salt packets during a race mitigates this problem. The International Marathon Medical Directors Association issued a warning in 2001 that urged runners only to drink when they are thirsty, rather than "drinking ahead of their thirst."
Women are more prone to hyponatremia than men. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 13% of runners completing the 2002 Boston Marathon had hyponatremia.
A 4+ hour runner can drink about 4-6 fluid ounces (120-170 mL) every 20–30 minutes without fear of hyponatremia. Consuming sports drinks or salty snacks will also reduce the risk. A patient suffering hyponatremia can be given a small volume of a concentrated salt solution intravenously to raise sodium concentrations in blood. Some runners weigh themselves before running and write the results on their bibs. If anything goes wrong, first aid workers can use the weight information to tell if the patient had consumed too much water.

ग्लाइकोजेन और "दीवाल"

Carbohydrates that a person eats are converted by the liver and muscles into glycogen for storage. Glycogen burns rapidly to provide quick energy. Runners can store about 8 MJ or 2,000 kcal worth of glycogen in their bodies, enough for about 30 km/18–20 miles of running. Many runners report that running becomes noticeably more difficult at that point. When glycogen runs low, the body must then burn stored fat for energy, which does not burn as readily. When this happens, the runner will experience dramatic fatigue and is said to "hit the wall". The aim of training for the marathon, according to many coaches, is to maximize the limited glycogen available so that the fatigue of the "wall" is not as dramatic. This is in part accomplished by utilizing a higher percentage of energy from burned fat even during the early phase of the race, thus conserving glycogen.
Carbohydrate-based "energy" gels are used by runners to avoid or reduce the effect of "hitting the wall", as they provide easy to digest energy during the run. Energy gels usually contain varying amounts of sodium and potassium and some also contain caffeine. They need to be consumed with a certain amount of water. Recommendations for how often to take an energy gel during the race range widely.
Alternatives to gels are solid candy, cookies, other forms of concentrated sugars, or any food high in simple carbohydrates which can be digested easily by the individual runner. Many runners experiment with consuming energy supplements during training runs to determine what works best for them. Consumption of food while running sometimes makes the runner sick. Runners are advised not to ingest a new food or medicine just prior to or during a race. It's also important to refrain from taking any of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory class of pain relievers (NSAIDS, e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen), as these drugs change the way the kidneys regulate their blood flow and may lead to serious kidney problems, especially in cases involving moderate to severe dehydration.

मैराथन के बाद

Marathon participation may result in various medical, musculoskeletal, and dermatological complaints. Delayed onset muscle soreness is a common condition affecting runners during the first week following a marathon. Various types of mild exercise or massage have been recommended to alleviate pain secondary to DOMS. Dermatological issues frequently include "jogger's nipple", "jogger's toe", and blisters.
The immune system is reportedly suppressed for a short time. Changes to the blood chemistry may lead physicians to mistakenly diagnose heart malfunction.
After long training runs and the marathon itself, consuming carbohydrates to replace glycogen stores and protein to aid muscle recovery is commonly recommended. In addition, soaking the lower half of the body for 20 minutes or so in cold or ice water may force blood through the leg muscles to speed recovery.

हृदय को खतरे

A study published in 1996 found that the risk of having a fatal heart attack during, or in the period 24 hours after a marathon, was approximately 1 in 50,000 over an athlete's racing career—which the authors characterised as an "extremely small" risk. The paper went on to say that since the risk was so small, cardiac screening programs for marathons were not warranted. However, this study was not an attempt to assess the overall benefit or risk to cardiac health of marathon running.
In 2006, a study of 60 non-elite marathon participants tested runners for certain proteins (see Troponin) which indicate heart damage or dysfunction after they had completed the marathon, and gave them ultrasound scans before and after the race. The study revealed that, in that sample of 60 people, runners who had done less than 35 miles per week training before the race were most likely to show some heart damage or dysfunction, while runners who had done more than 45 miles per week training beforehand showed few or no heart problems.
In 2007, Ryan Shay, a 28 year-old elite long-distance runner, died after collapsing early in the US Olympic marathon trials. His death was reported as probably due to a pre-existing heart abnormality.

कई मैराथन

As marathon running has become more popular, some athletes have undertaken to complete goals involving the running of a series of marathons.
In the United States, a popular goal is to run a marathon in each state (50 in total) plus Washington, D.C.. Over 350 individuals have completed this circuit once and some have done it eight times. In 2004, Chuck Bryant of Miami, Florida, who lost his right leg below the knee, became the first amputee to finish this circuit. Bryant has completed a total of 59 marathons on his prosthesis. Twenty-seven people have run a marathon on each of the seven continents, and 31 people have run a marathon in each of the Canadian provinces. In 1980, in what was termed the Marathon of Hope, Terry Fox, who had lost a leg to cancer and so ran with one artificial leg, attained 5,373 किलोमीटर (3,339 मील) of his proposed cross-Canada cancer fundraising run, thus maintaining an average of over 37 किलोमीटर (23 मील), close to the planned marathon distance, for each of 143 consecutive days. On February 8, 2009, John Wallace claimed to become the first person to run marathons in 100 different countries. However, some of his runs were not official races but individual runs over the marathon distance (e.g. Cambodia); furthermore some of his 'countries' are not independent (e.g. French Polynesia). Previously, Wally Herman had run marathons in 99 different countries.
In 2003 British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes completed seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. He completed this feat despite suffering from a heart attack and undergoing a double heart bypass operation just four months before.
On December 14, 2008, 64-year old Larry Macon set a record by running 105 marathons in a single calendar year.
On September 15, 2009, comedian Eddie Izzard, at the age of 47, completed his 43ʳᵈ marathon in 51 days which had taken him around the United Kingdom. This feat was completed to boost donations to the UK charity Sport Relief. Before starting his running, Eddie trained for just seven weeks (five with Olympic experts).
In Europe a goal among some people is to run the greatest number of marathon races overall in one's lifetime. There is something called the 100-club, for example. To qualify one must have run 100 races.
Other goals are to attempt to run marathons on a series of consecutive weekends (Richard Worley on 159 weekends), or to run the most marathons during a particular year or the most in a lifetime. A pioneer in running multiple marathons was Sy Mah of Toledo, Ohio, who ran 524 before he died in 1988. John Bozung, a runner based in the Utah area, claims to have the current "unofficial" record for having run 258 marathons in 170 consecutive months as of November 2007. As of June 30, 2007, Horst Preisler of Germany had successfully completed 1214 marathons plus 347 ultramarathons, a total of 1561 events at marathon distance or longer. Sigrid Eichner, Christian Hottas and Hans-Joachim Meyer have also all completed over 1000 marathons each. Norm Frank of the United States is credited with 945 marathons.
In 2010, Stefaan Engels, a Belgian, set out to run a marathon every day of the year. Although he finished some with a handbike, due to an injury, he broke the existing record of Akinori Kusuda, from Japan, who ran 52 marathons in 52 days. Engels ran and biked 233 marathons in the first 233 days.
Some runners compete to run the same marathons for the most consecutive years. For example, Johnny Kelley completed 61 Boston Marathons. Four runners, dubbed the "ground pounders" (Will Brown, Matthew Jaffe, Alfred Richmond, and Mel Williams), have completed all 32 US Marine Corps Marathons. Another mention for most consecutive marathons is Jerald Fenske, who has completed every Paavo Nurmi Marathon he has entered since his first in 1978 at age 17, a total of 33 consecutive finishes through 2010.