Review of the marathon: Over three in five of UK adults cite running a marathon as a lifetime goal
- More than three in five UK adults would like to run a marathon in their lifetime, with 86% of aspirational would-be marathon runners citing the London Marathon as their biggest goal
- Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and Samaritans are among the top charities that UK adults are willing to support through long-distance running
- The average male runner’s marathon time has slowed by over 40 minutes since 1986, now standing at 4:32:49
The team of running experts at personalised running coaching app www.runna.com conducted a survey of almost 2,300 adults aged 18+ in the UK, all with varying fitness levels, to find out if attitudes towards marathons and long-distance running are consistent with historical data trends.
The study found that over three fifths of participants (63%) cited running a marathon as a bucket list objective. Of these, the London Marathon piqued interest more than any other running event for the aspirational would-be marathon runners (86%), followed by the New York City Marathon (37%) and Tokyo Marathon (34%). Last year’s London Marathon – considered one of the largest running events in the world, alongside its Berlin, Boston, Chicago, New York City and Tokyo counterparts – attracted more than 40,000 participants.
Part of the London Marathon experience features a wide variety of running costumes, which can span from witches to stationary items, candy confectionery items and stars. One of the most impressive running-related Guinness World Records is ‘Fastest marathon in a 40-person costume’ and was achieved by Rat Race Marathon Marauders in York, North Yorkshire, in October 2018. Other interesting world records include ‘fastest marathon pushing a wheelchair’ (2:49:26), ‘fastest marathon on stilts’ (6:37:38) and ‘fastest marathon wearing armour’ (6:46:59).
When respondents were asked which costume they would most like to don while completing the London Marathon, a broad range of responses ensued:
- A dinosaur – 6%
- A superhero, i.e. Batman or Superman – 5%
- A vehicle – 4%
- A character from a children’s book or TV show, i.e. Paddington Bear or Peppa Pig – 4%
- A tree, flower or plant – 4%
While not a costume inspired by a specific person or character, a further 3% submitted costume proposals aimed at making impactful social statements, such as dressing as the globe to raise awareness for emissions or dressing as an endangered animal.
Additionally, the 2022 TCS London Marathon also helped to raise more than £37 million in donations for charity on JustGiving last year, an overwhelmingly positive 43% year-on-year rise. More than 21,000 fundraising efforts raised an average of £1,600 to benefit 1,700 different charities. When asked which charity they would be willing to complete a long-distance run (not necessarily a marathon) to help support, respondents answered:
- Cancer Research UK – 14%
- British Heart Foundation – 12%
- Samaritans – 10%
- British Red Cross – 10%
- Guide Dogs – 9%
Research from the International Institute for Race Medicine, which analysed race results across the US, EU, Canada, Australia, Asia, Africa and South America, found that the average male runner’s finishing time slowed by 40 minutes and 14 seconds from 1986 to 2019***, from 3:52:35 to 4:32:49. This may seem like an alarming forecast to an untrained eye, though it actually highlights how running a marathon is now more accessible than ever and no longer reserved for professional runners.
Furthermore, in the same time period, Eliud Kipchoge set a world record for men of 2:01:09 on September 25, 2022, at the Berlin Marathon and Brigid Kosgei set a world record for women of 2:14:04 on October 13, 2019, at the Chicago Marathon – showing that despite the average finishing time slowing, runners are still reaching new heights.
To help curb the decline of participation and performance in running events, Ben Parker, Head Coach at www.runna.com, has outlined his top marathon preparation tips:
Be patient
Training for what feels like a mammoth goal, such as a marathon, takes long-term hard work and consistency – if it were easy, it would not be so impressive and satisfying when reaching the finish line. As such, being patient and stacking the 1% improvements week-on-week are vital to being strong enough to get round all 42.2 kilometres.
If it helps, try to break down the marathon training into a series of smaller, more achievable goals. If incremental progress will help avoid feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of running a marathon, then track week-on-week progress to monitor improvements with a few stepping stone goals along the way, like a 10k or a half marathon event in the build-up.
Prioritise your nutrition
Fueling before, during and after a run are all equally important and will be a key part of a successful marathon training block. Before running, make sure to have plenty of slow-release carbs with enough time pre-run to avoid upsetting the stomach by running right away. Fueling during the run is equally crucial – prepping for a marathon involves gradually building up to running longer distances, which means that more fuel is needed too. On average, aim to take on 60 grams of carbs an hour when running for over an hour. In the real world, this works out at around a gel every five kilometres. Plus, practising fueling during training helps avoid disasters on race day. Finally, post-run, prioritise protein to ensure full body recovery from hard training and help strengthen muscles ahead of the next training run ahead.
Focus on your mobility
While it may seem tempting to immediately flop onto the sofa or bed after an intense training session, the importance of good mobility is key for reducing the risk of injury. Mobility work does not have to be an hour of stretching every day. Instead, warm up with dynamic movements before each run or workout and do a few static stretches after each run. Additionally aim to complete a longer yoga, pilates or stretch session between 20 and 30 minutes per week. Be sure to pay special attention to all the major running muscles, the calves, hamstrings, glutes and quads.
Dom Maskell, co-founder of www.runna.com, commented on the overall findings:
“Running is a great form of exercise with numerous mental health and physical benefits, and completing a marathon represents the pinnacle of running for many. At Runna, we’re enthused to see so many people interested in marathon running and I think I speak for everyone when I say I would strongly encourage anyone who feels hesitant about running to give it a try, whether you’re just starting out, aiming for a faster 5k or want to complete your first marathon.”
Featured Photo by Miguel A Amutio on Unsplash
