Last year in the United States, 450,000 people completed a marathon. While the idea of running 26.2 miles may intimidate the majority, many local college students find themselves caught in the marathon mania.

Utah ranks high for its interest in distance running. American Sports Data reported that from 1998 to 2000, the state had the second most runners per capita.

"I'm really surprised by how many people actually run," said Ryan Earp, a junior from Petaluma, Calif., who is training for his first marathon. "Just in my apartment complex, probably a third of the people go on a daily basis."

With races such as "Top of Utah and the "St. George Marathon" just around the corner, the prevalence of runners on the street has increased.

"There's tons of people in Provo who run - even at 1 in the morning," said Ryan Howell, a senior majoring in international politics and co-president of the BYU running club.

Hawk Harper, owner of the store Runners' Corner, said he thinks Utah is just one of many hotbeds for runners including Denver, Florida and Oregon.

"As a whole you'll find that Utahans are a lot healthier that way," Harper said. "I think it's the lifestyle. We have the conditions to run in and I think it's a safer environment."

The history of marathon running dates to 490 B.C. when the Greek soldier Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to relay a message of victory. Because Pheidippides journey ended with his collapse and death, widespread acceptance of the marathon as a voluntary activity took centuries.

"Over the past 20 to 30 years, the research in the area of exercise science has really grown," said Allen Parcell, assistant professor in the Human Research Center at BYU. "We have a better understanding of how the human body responds and adapts. The research base has been communicated to the general public."

Whether for health, social or personal reasons, many more people today run marathons than even 10 years ago.

"If you look at a marathon runner, they're real optimistic, outgoing people," Harper said. "People tend to look at that and say, 'I'd like to try.'"

Running has some obvious differences from other athletic activities.

"It's not fun like tennis, but it feels good," Earp said. It's just you and your body and it's enjoyable."

Some people like the individual aspect of running.

"[Running] is unlike other sports," Harper said. "Baseball, football - you have to have a lot of other people to do it. Running - you don't. You can go out and do it on your own so whatever time you put into it, you get out of it."

Laura Matthews, a junior from Salt Lake City, ran the St. George Marathon last year and said she loved it.

"It was honestly the greatest experience," Matthews said. "It was something I always wanted to do and it felt like this huge accomplishment. The feeling of getting across the finish line-there's nothing like that."

Two commonly cited reasons for running a marathon are to get in shape and to accomplish a difficult goal.

"I know a lot of people run marathons today because it seems like something so impossible," Howell said. "Going out and doing something like that gives a lot of confidence."

Earp, who plans to be a doctor, finds a correlation between running a marathon and preparing for his future work.

"Getting into medical school is not going to be the easiest thing in the world," Earp said. "It's a long haul and lots of work. If you can do a marathon, maybe you can have the mental energy that you need to do other things that are [hard] like that."

Harper, who has run 75 marathons in his lifetime, said he believes almost anybody can do a marathon.

"I don't think it's a physical thing so much as a mental thing," Harper said. "The problem you run into is that mentally, people don't believe they can do it."

Harper said he has known a number of people to qualify for the Boston Marathon on their first time.

"That's the great thing about running," Harper said. "If you put the time in and you master the mechanics of it, you can get pretty good."

Though Harper managed to run his first marathon on athletic ability and little training, most experts advise preparing for a marathon 15 to 18 weeks beforehand.

"The hardest part of a marathon aside from the marathon itself is the training," Parcell said. "It's just an involved process. You have to be pretty religious about it because if you don't put the miles in during the training, you're not going to be able to perform when the day comes."

Though training programs will vary, most regimens advise running at least four days a week with long runs on the weekend.

"Some people train too much too soon," Parcell said. "They can develop overuse injuries. But there isn't any inherent risk for getting injured in preparing for a marathon."

Harper said the single biggest mistake people make in training is getting shoes that are too small. There should be a thumb width from the end of the toe to the end of the shoe. The second biggest mistake is training the same distance at the same speed every day, Harper said, because one will actually get slower.

"Your body is real adaptable so you have to keep it out of sync," Harper said. "If you can do that, you'll progress. If you stay the same, you actually lose ground. It's kind of like a marriage where you just do the same thing every day. You've got to bring flowers home once in a while."

Although Harper said he doesn't think that running marathons has affected his body poorly, many runners suffer injuries. According to Harper, the three most common injuries involve the hamstring, the IT band and the sole of the foot.

Some of these injuries can be avoided by getting a good pair of running shoes, experts say.

"People think 'they're just shoes,'" Parcell said. "But that's the only thing between you and the ground and all those steps you're going to take."

In addition, Harper emphasizes landing on the middle of one's foot and not on the heel. This causes tension, which can lead to injuries.

Both Harper and Parcell stress proper nutrition as an important part of marathon training. Parcell has performed research in this area and said runners should maintain a balance of protein, fruits and vegetables with an emphasis on carbohydrates.

"Carbohydrate intake absolutely improves endurance performance - just unequivocally," Parcell said. "There isn't a supplement, a powder, a pill or anything that has come out and really demonstrated that on a consistent basis it will improve your performance or enhance your adaptation."

Harper said runners should avoid sugar and dairy products. Milk foods hamper breathing and inhibit oxygen while sugar causes stiff joints that take longer to recover.

"Those two things are killers," Harper said. "If you can stay either off or light on sugar and really low and if not get rid of dairy products, you'll be a lot better off."

Earp said he's working on drinking more fluids to stay hydrated. Some guides suggest drinking as much water as you sweat out.

Research shows marathon runners are more successful when they train with others or run with a group.

"If you're doing it by yourself it's really hard to be motivated," Matthews said. "You can do it, but it's hard."

Harper agrees with Matthews that people are more successful when they run with other people.

"You look over at the other person and you're saying subconsciously, 'Oh my gosh. If so and so can do it, then I can do it.'" Harper said.

In a recent study involving 10 top runners, the athletes were alternately assigned either to train individually with a coach or with a group. The runners were then tested in a 10K time trial and those who trained in a group beat the others by an average of one minute and 23 seconds.

BYU students can find support with the BYU running club. Howell said he created the club as a hub for runners in the area. The group currently has 150 members, 20 of which are preparing to run marathons.

"Basically, we want to build a strong community of runners and have a good time - be uplifting to everyone who gets involved," Howell said.

Other groups exist to support marathon runners. The Sojourners' Running Club meets every Saturday for group runs.

"I think everybody just pulls everybody along," Harper said.

Matthews said marathon training has provided her with many benefits.

"I sleep better at night," Matthews said. "And it keeps your life in focus when you have something that you're working toward."

Although not everyone cares for running, some individuals do it because it teaches important lessons about endurance.

"I don't like running," Howell said. "It's hard. But afterward, you get that high. It's a metaphor of life. You keep running even when it's hard."



Copyright Brigham Young University 7 Jul 2003