have you ever ran a marathon?
No I don't have the long distance endurance to run 42.195 kilometres  or  26.219 miles
holy crap its that long? i can barely walk 3 miles... marathons sound impossible. but do tell me more about them
Well it said that they first started with the run of a greek soldier to tell the city of Athens that they had won the Battle of Marathon
oh wow.. if thats how it really got its name i am amused. very cute.  anything else?
Maybe not so cute. He collapsed and died after the run.
Marathon
distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 800 marathons are held throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes, as larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.
History.
History Origin.
The name "Marathon" comes from the legend of Philippides (or Pheidippides), the Greek messenger. The legend states that he was sent from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon (in which he had
deliver the victory message, the marathon running event of 26.2 miles / 42.195 km is based on this legend.
Physiology of long-distance running.
Humans are considered among the best distance runners among all running animals: game animals are faster over short distances, but they have less endurance than humans. Unlike other primates whose bodies are suited to walk on four legs or climb trees, the human body has evolved into upright walking and running around 2-3 million years ago. The human body can endure long