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The marathon is the most legendary of athletic races and probably the toughest among all competitions. 42 kilometers and 195 meters: this is the distance that these long-suffering athletes have to run before reaching the finish-line. And obviously, they must run this distance in the shortest time possible and without stopping, not even for an instant.

Therefore, a marathon runner must possess a high level of physical resistance, something that can only be attained through hours and hours of daily training. And that's not all: he or she must also possess a substantial degree of mental preparation, which will allow the runner to control him or herself when the going gets tough, an inevitable part of such a long and even heroic race.

We view the marathon as, basically, an athletic discipline that the runner confronts alone. This is different from what occurs in team sports competitions, where each member or player has a specific function and relies on the support of the entire group.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that the marathon is a very popular race, contested in high-level athletic competitions, at the national, continental or international level. It is also one of the most emblematic races of the Olympic Games. Furthermore, there are a great many cities scattered throughout the world where mass marathons are organized year after year. Two of the most popular are the Boston and New York Marathons, in the United States. In fact, just this past November 2nd, the streets of New York were the scene of the 34th annual edition of the race.