Magic of the Marathon

Despite the advent of ultra distance running, a branch of athletics with which Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team members are more familiar than most, the 26.2 mile race remains the classic long distance event. While Elite athletes battle it out at the front, running a staggering sub-5 minute pace per mile, thousands of runners and walkers of all abilities also take part in this epic sporting challenge, many aiming simply to complete the course.

The origins of the marathon are ancient indeed, dating back to the legendary run in 490 BC by a Greek soldier, Phidippidès, who took news of the battle of Marathon to the citizens of Athens. The legend tells us that the unfortunate messenger died of exhaustion upon arrival, and the Marathon race was created to commemorate his heroism.

The race was revived in 1896 with the advent of the Olympic Games, but remained the preserve of elite athletes until the 1970s when the "running boom" saw thousands of runners, walkers and joggers join the specialist athletes for the first time.

Today mass-participation marathons are held in cities all over the world, with over 30,000 runners taking part in a single race. Elite times have come down considerably, with the current world records standing at 2:04:55 for men (held by Kenyan Paul Tergat) and 2:15:25 for women (held by Britain's Paula Radcliffe).

The international marathon season for this year gets underway in April, with the Rotterdam Marathon. The Netherlands have a reputation for being extremely flat, and as you might expect, the appeal of the Rotterdam course is its total lack of ups and downs. Here is certainly a course with world record potential. If you're not in record-breaking shape, the Paris Marathon is being held on the same day. This race dates back to the nineteenth century, and along with New York was at the forefront of the "running boom" in the mid 1970s. The course is superbly scenic, taking in The Champs-Elysees, Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, and Eiffel Tower. Elite runners are likely to forego Paris, however, and take to the streets of London just a week later, where the fast course and cool conditions offer better chances of a record-breaking time. Paula Radcliffe will be hoping to complete her comeback from Olympic disappointment in 2004, while Paul Tergat will be taking on the challenge from track legend Haile Gebreselasse, who has already told reporters he feels capable of running 2:03 ! The truly world class field for London 2005 also includes Olympic gold medallist Stefano Baldini of Italy and world champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco.

Just one day after the London Marathon comes Boston - a race with tough qualifying criteria that exclude most "fun runners" and make for a compelling elite competition. Despite the high quality of the entrants, records are unlikely on the undulating Boston course which features a number of steep climbs in the latter stages including the infamous "heartbreak hill".

Few top race organisers in Europe and North America choose midsummer for their marathons, so it’s not until Berlin in September that we see expect to see more attempts at a world-best. Another race boasting a super-flat course, Berlin also provides up to 52 live bands along the route, playing jazz, blues and samba to entertain and encourage participants.

In the autumn, world attention switches from Europe to America with major international races in Chicago and New York. Chicago's flat, wide, fast, course starting and finishing on the shore of Lake Michigan was the scene for Khalid Khannouchi's world record 2:05:42 in 1999 and Paula Radcliffe's world record 2:17:18 in 2002. New York, with a more undulating course, does not offer the same record - breaking potential, but remains one of the great (if not the greatest) peoples' marathons. No other event attracts such a large proportion of international runners from so many countries. The crowds lining the New York streets swell to over a million, and their enthusiastic support for the runners is legendary.

For many runners, there is much more to a marathon than the vast scale and widespread fame that these "global" races offer. A lot of us prefer smaller races, or events closer to home. For Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team members, myself included, there is really only one race that can claim number one spot on the calendar - the Self Transcendence Marathon. This superb race takes place on a beautiful, scenic, lakeside loop in the Rockland State Park just an hour's drive north of New York City. The support is truly unparalleled, with drink and aid stations at every mile offering everything from energy drinks to seaweed (chewed to replace those essential minerals we lose during the run). The race begins in the cool of the early morning with a brief meditative silence, giving all runners a chance to relax mentally and gather their energies for the task ahead. At the finish, each participant is treated to a post-race massage and a delicious buffet meal. As a team, the SCMT is rightly proud of its showcase event - the fact that runners from all over the world return each year to take part is a testament to the uniquely uplifting atmosphere one finds at The Self Transcendence Races. If you have marathon aspirations for 2005, join us in Rockland Lake State Park on Thursday, 25 August for a marathon you’ll love to run!

Marathon Links:

Self Transcendence Marathon Entry Form -
http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/us/races/marathon2005/

Seven Steps to a successful marathon - http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/us/resources/seven_steps

Accounts of the 2004 Marathon from UK entrants -
http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/uk/UKnews/marathon2004/