Of late, Malaysia has been fast moving and always on the go. Enter the sport that has taken our little nation by storm, no not shopping, marathon running! Legend has it that the first ever marathon runner died after completing a run to ancient Athens, but that didn’t stop the rest of us from running did it?
In fact, it’s hard to understand why people run marathons..until you’ve walked or rather ran a mile in their shoes. Running marathons is not about winning, it’s about accomplishing little things in life at your own pace.
In marathon running, you start small and slowly build up with every marathon you participate in. You don’t run to beat others, you run to beat your own previous record and at the end of it, you give yourself a little pat on the back and then celebrate your completion with the other runners and clink paper cups filled with sponsored isotonic drinks with a sigh of relief.
Marathons are physically and mentally exhausting yet people do it again, and again, and again.
People run marathons to push themselves to their limits, to see what they can acheive outside of the office. Sitting in the office day after day can drain the ordinary person but by running, they are able to see the world on foot, meet people from all walks of life and fill themselves with renewed hope and belief in themselves. That feeling of accomplishment alone, is addictive and it’s one of the reasons why people run marathons again and again.
Here are other reasons we’ve found on the internet on why people enjoy marathons (source from: Made to Run) and we hope they inspire you to take part in the next marathon near you:
1. “I was brought up as a runner and have run my whole life”
2. “My friends and/or family are runners and I did it to join them”
3. “I was bored with how things were going in my life and I needed a change”
4. “Over the past few years I’ve managed to really put on some weight and needed to get back in shape”
5. “I read about a cause such as breast cancer or HIV/AIDS that I could raise money and awareness for by running a marathon”
6. “I believe that people were made to run“
7. “I’m not the religious type, but there’s something spiritual about running in the outdoors and interacting with our world in a very simple yet inspiring way. To me, running is my religion since it brings me peace and happiness”
8. “Running marathons makes me happy and gives me a sense of accomplishment”
9. “I would love to be a swimmer but I suck at it”
10. “It’s a challenge”
11. “I’m addicted to collecting the finisher’s medals”
12. “I ran a half marathon and felt great about it, so I figured I have it in me to run a full marathon”
13. “There’s a certain sense of honor I get by participating in an event with such deep roots in world history”
14. “It’s one of those things I promised myself I would do before I die”
15. “I’m an adrenaline junkie and crossing the finish line is a thrill”
16. “My friends pressured me into it”
17. “Running seemed like a healthy hobby to pick up and over time I got better at it”
18. “I had an injury and my doctor told me that structured exercise would help me recover. As I got stronger I become more addicted to running and staying fit and it all ballooned from there”
19. “I lost a loved one and wanted to dedicate a marathon in their memory”
20. “Growing up I never played sports. When I became an adult I decided to change that and got into running”
21. “In my professional life I’ve noticed that I automatically get more respect because I’m an endurance runner. Running marathons is my way of maintaining a professional edge”
22. “I want to be a positive role model in my kids life”
Inspired already? Yes? Then stay in touch with other runners or to get a heads up on upcoming runs, visit Runners Malaysia.
