Marathon: which types it suits

A marathon is 42.195 kilometres, and very few people sign up for one as their first race. The usual path runs through a 10K and a half marathon, then a training plan that lasts several months. Big-city races can put tens of thousands of people behind the same start line, with crowds and drinks stations lining the course. Finisher medals tend to end up hanging somewhere their owners will see them every day.

Marathons suit people who like setting a distant goal and chipping away at it week by week. Many runners admit the preparation is half the appeal: the training log, the pace calculations, the night-before kit laid out on the floor like a museum exhibit. Some people love the months of build-up even more than the moment they cross the line, and start browsing next year's races before their legs have stopped buzzing.