On the Subject of: Marathons

 

Marathons. It seems half the people I know have either recently run, intend to soon run or would like to someday be able to run a marathon.

Is it just me or are marathons in fact a trend?

If this truly is the case I must say I am wholeheartedly confused. Exercising is fun, invigorating, healthy and in all ways commendable. But marathons?? I even remember a guy I barely know saying he was going to run a marathon the next weekend and following the statement up with a question, asking me if I had ever run one. I said no. He said: YOU SHOULD TRY IT. ITS ADDICTIVE. Seriously? We’re talking marathons here, not a delicious new bar of chocolate.

Perhaps the following imaginary dialogue will help elucidate my confusion:

A marathon enthusiast: “So I was thinking of running 42 km next month.”

Me:“Oh will  there be a huge war going on and an urgent message will have to be delivered to a location exactly 42 km away? Thousands of lives and the future of a state will depend on it? You work as messenger for the army?”

The marathon enthusiast:“No no, nothing like that I do it for fun. It’s like a competition.”

Me:“For fun? So you know now that on a certain day next month you will feel like running exactly 42 km, not 41, not 43 but exactly 42? A competition? So you can win some totally awesome prize? Maybe if it’s a lifetime supply of free chocolate I could participate as well.”

The marathon enthusiast:“Well it’s not really a competition in that sense, only the very best stand a chance of actually winning something. I actually pay for getting to run with of bunch of other people.”

Me:”…”

The marathon enthusiast:”And the competition part is really about competing with yourself, showing yourself you can do it and motivate yourself to train.”

Me:“OK wait. So you’re telling me you are paying money to get to run an obscene distance on a predetermined date that will only make you feel a lot of pain just to show yourself you can? Why not just go for a jog by yourself and run for as long as you feel like?”

The marathon enthusiast:“Because it’s a marathon!”

Nope, I still don’t get it.

Can someone explain it to me? What do you guys think?

Picture from the 1896 Olympic marathon. Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1896_Olympic_marathon.jpg.