The London Marathon has broken its record of applications this year – but is running for 26 miles really that impressive these days?
When I expressed my desire to run the London Marathon, I was not certainly expecting to read disappointment on the face of my personal trainer. “Everyone can run a marathon nowadays,” he said, “you should give a go to ultramarathons if you really want to impress me.” I was all sweaty and breathless after jogging for six miles on the treadmill, but I realised that running for 20 miles more wouldn’t have made a huge difference in his eyes.
The London Marathon, which is happening at the end of October this year, recently broke its previously-held record, becoming the most popular marathon on the planet. According to official figures from its organisers, almost 415,000 people entered the ballot to take part in the 2019 race, an increase of 7.3 per cent in applications from last year.
However, while more and more people are eager to take up the challenge, in terms of impressing, it seems marathons no longer fit. According to statistics, there has been a dramatic increase of runners venturing into ultramarathons, the term used for any foot race longer than 26.2 miles. The figure is currently 42 times higher than 40 years ago.
Paul Starrs, a London-based sports therapist, explains that most recreational runners are more likely to start with marathons as, in their eyes, they look an achievable goal and something they can be proud of completing. In his opinion, after the first marathon, there is a high risk of becoming exercise-addicted as people want to feel as powerful as they felt when they completed their first race, but at the same time, they will need to run longer distances to experience the same excitement. That’s when people get into ultramarathons.
Starrs, as a sport therapist, enjoys any sport and outdoor activity and says that running by the Thames River is among his favourites. He tried the ballot for the London Marathon seven times before finally getting a place for the race this year. “I am expecting to complete the marathon in three hours and 50 minutes,” Starrs says. “I will probably struggle for the last 10 kilometres because that’s usually where most people start to feel the fatigue.” Although Starrs has never run 26 miles before, his experience in treating professional runners on both physical and emotional level makes him face the marathon with pragmatism. “I am just a little bit nervous about the 28th[of April] because my calves are currently having tetanic contractions, which are influencing negatively my training, and I know they are uncomfortable enough to disrupt even professional runners,” he says.
In terms of injuries, marathons and general long-distance running are among the top of debilitating activities. According to a study conducted by Sports Health, between 37 per cent and 56 per cent of runners sustain a running-related injury each year, while the London Marathon sees an average of 4,600 people treated in hospital at the end of every competition.
Raffaella Pontonutti, senior sports lecturer at London Metropolitan University, says: “The most common injuries related to long-distance running are the ones involving the tendons of the lower limbs.” She explains that tendons degenerate with repetitive movements as collagen synthesis is overcome by collagen break down leading to what it is called tendinosis. Pontonutti also adds that tetanic contractions, commonly known as spasms, are common among runners and they often lead to a drop out during the race.
However, the risk of injury is far higher in ultramarathon runners due to the mileage covered. “The ultramarathon runners are mainly at risk of stress fractures especially to the tibia and the metatarsals,” she says. This is due to the amount of impact received by the bones which get inflames and eventually degenerate to a breaking point. Other accidents that ultra-long-distance runners face more than their marathon colleagues include breaking down of muscles and lack of minerals.
But not every ultramarathon runner gets injured along the long-distance way. Simon Benbow, 36, has run for more than six years, completing several marathons and ultramarathons and for now he has managed to stay injury-free.
Benbow completed his first marathon seven months after his first run. “I was overweight, and I thought a big challenge would give me something to aim for and a reason to keep running to lose weight,” he says. Unfortunately, in late 2016 Benbow was diagnosed with skin cancer. Although he caught it early and it was treated with two small operations, the illness made him slip into depression. His mental health got worse when, just a year later, his mum was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died after three months. “I put a lot of weight back on and became pretty difficult to live with,” he says. “Then I tried something to focus on again and I signed up for the London Marathon, with the Children With Cancer UK charity place.”
To raise even more money for the charity, Benbow will run 200 miles to come to London from his hometown of Crewe, Cheshire, over the five days before the marathon. He is planning to run 40 miles a day in order to be on time for the actual race. He booked hotels along the route and he will have a backpack to bring enough supplies for the week, but he says he wants to travel as light as possible.
After five marathons finished, Benbow can still appreciate how hard marathons are to train for and in his opinion anyone who finished one deserves a lot of credit. He says: “Running has become not only a form of exercise, but a way to escape from everyday problems. I was suffering from depression and running cured it. Regardless of how many miles people want you to run, it is more about how many miles it takes you to feel happy.”
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