Completing a marathon is, for many runners, the ultimate end goal for the hobby – and while there are longer challenges that await past that point – besting that 26.2-mile stretch is what most have their sights set on.
There are marathons arranged all around the world to varying degrees of fanfare, but few can compare to the publicity and prestige that the London Marathon receives every April.
This year's race came to its conclusion on Sunday, with a record-breaking estimated 59,000 runners taking part — raising over £100 million ($135.5 million) for charity in the process.
This year's event was especially historic thanks to a jaw-dropping victory-clinching time from Sabastian Sawe, who became the first person in history to complete a marathon in under two hours, just beating out Yomif Kejelcha – who also broke the two-hour threshold – by 11 seconds with a finish time of 1:59:30.
Advert
For the 'average' runner, however, the time it takes to complete a marathon is much longer with the UK average sitting around 4:37:09 for completion according to Runner's World.
Completing that achievement, even if it's at a speed far slower than the pros, is nothing to be scoffed at though and you might even be shocked to discover quite how much it does to your body and health once you've crossed the finish line.
As shared by the Metro, one of the biggest impacts of running a marathon is how it causes your body to go into 'overdrive', where it uses all of your available energy stores and loses significant amounts of fluid and electrolytes, contributing significantly to the fatigue you feel during and after the the run.
According to physiotherapist Sammy Margo, your muscles are also likely to become inflamed and suffer from damage as they're not used to running lengths like this.
"Biomarkers of muscle damage – such as lactate dehyrogenase and creatine kinase – increase during the run, peaking after the end of the marathon," she explained to the Metro, adding that it takes around a week for things to return to their regular levels.
One contrast that runners embarking on their first marathon might not necessarily be prepared for too is the transition from a 'runner's high' to the post-race blues, as endorphins will be released during the lengthy race that give you a noticeable boost in mood and happiness, before wearing off and potentially sending you into a slump.
Finally, one thing that surprises most is the fact that you'll probably get a bit shorter after completing a marathon — but thankfully the effect is only temporary and will return after a short period of time.
This occurs due to the loss of fluid between your back's intervertebral disks, alongside the impact of tensing your back muscles that's inevitable after running for such a long period of time.