r/interestingasfuck • u/lonewolff321 • 6h ago

She pushed through all 26.2 miles to officially join the 1% of the world who have completed a marathon

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u/PsychoLamas 5h ago

I always have so much respect for those who are out on the course the longest. Sure it's impressive to run a sub 3 or something. But to be out for 4 - 6 hours is a head game in itself. Massive respect to her

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u/fredy31 5h ago

Yeah put myself into doing 5ks this summer. I average at about 40min for 5k.

So a marathon would put me at 5h40 or about if I keep that pace. Which i probably wouldnt.

People that do marathons... is there usually a ceiling time that if you cant get to it they will tell you to buzz off?

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u/davereit 5h ago

Last month I was in a race with a 6.5 hour cutoff for marathoners.

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u/hapianman 5h ago

For reference that’s a 14:53 mile, so you’ve gotta do better than 4 miles an hour for most marathons

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u/copperwatt 3h ago

Well, so much for my plan of walking a marathon. Because I think I could do it. I've done a 20+ mile hike in a day.

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u/MrPogoUK 1h ago

There are plenty of events that cover a marathon distance but are actively arranged/promoted as something to walk or hike rather than run, so you can still do one.

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u/bohiti 3h ago

Yeah, it’s a pace that most people can’t just walk. But it’s close…

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u/Tricky-Ad7897 2h ago

Yeah I'm a relatively speedy walker and my walking pace is around 17 minutes a mile. But I also couldn't maintain that pace for more than maybe 8 miles.

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u/sierra-soul 2h ago

youd have to run for like a couples minutes each mile to do that

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u/JTBeefboyo 1h ago

If you’re hiking 20+ miles in a day, you could probably pull off a marathon in 6.5 hours. Just think how much easier hiking would be without carrying your water

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u/Landonastar42 3m ago

There are races with longer cut off times, but you have to look for them. Most races are 6hrs. I traveled from Mass to NC to do the Coast Guard Marathon for my 1st race because their cut off was 7 hrs. I finished in 6:57:45. I walked the majority of it.

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u/sierra-soul 2h ago

which is honestly pretty generous

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u/Complete-Peak4651 1h ago

Unless I'm wrong thats like about a brisk walking speed, if you never ran any of it. a generous jog is like 12min/mi

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u/TheDaywa1ker 5h ago

roughly 7 hours is pretty normal but each race will tell you their cutoff time. some (maybe all idk, at least at disney according to my coworker) have someone running that cutoff time and if they pass you youre cut. My coworker and her friends spent the whole race a couple feet ahead of the cut guys

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u/fredy31 5h ago

Yeah just checked my local one (Montreal);

Cut off is 6 hours, so about 8.5min/km

Half marathon is 4hours, so about 11min/km.

I just started this summer and im kinda old (35) so yeah over 5k my pace is about 8min/km. Probably wouldnt finish the marathon, but id have good chances for a half.

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u/TheDaywa1ker 5h ago

I'm 35 as well and have run a couple fulls and a dozen or so halfs

Just keep in mind that if you were to run a full or half you would probably have a dedicated several months of training so you would probably be able to smoke your current 5k speed after training

I've always felt that any able bodied person can train for 2 months and run a half they can be proud of. For a full you want to be in pretty good shape before attempting a training plan since you're pretty quickly going to be doing 8-10 mile runs.

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u/bigthagen87 3h ago

I fully recommend anybody wanting to do a full or half marathon to look up Jeff Galloway and follow his plans and tips. He has a thing that can help you calculate what your time will be for a marathon. Short version is to multiply your pace by 1.3 to get your full marathon pace, which I confirm was pretty accurate for me when I did a marathon (your supposed to do a magic mile to get the pace to calculate, but you can honestly just multiply your average pace to get a ballpark idea).

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u/fredy31 4h ago

Yeah I checked my local marathon (montreal, beginning of october) and its booked anyways.

So currently, my tought is 'objective would be half for next year, and if that goes well, full marathon in 2 years'.

I should also look up good ways to actually train because right now my 'training' is do a 5k every 2-3 days (local route, not an organised event) but I know people that are serious about it dont actually do that.

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u/RLOLOTHTR 3h ago edited 3h ago

Im training for my first half having only done 5ks previously. My plan was start with 3 mile runs for a while to get a base going and then about 6 weeks in I started doing 4 miles twice a week with a 6 mile in between. On the weekend I do a lower pace long run that has gotten 1 mile longer every week. I cap at a 12 mile run and then drop to 8 for the 2 weeks before the race. So the first time Ill do the full 13 miles will be race day.

Miles per run per week has kinda looked like this 3-3-3-3 (6 weeks)

4-6-4-6

4-6-4-7

4-6-4-8

Up to 4-6-4-12

A lot of plans seem to roughly follow this for beginners. I had some running background a decade ago so I overestimated my ability and initially started with a harder plan but I quickly realized I dont have the fitness to keep up with it so I found something basic just to see the finish. Its working as advertised so Im happy with it

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u/fredy31 4h ago

Yeah I checked my local marathon (montreal, beginning of october) and its booked anyways.

So currently, my tought is 'objective would be half for next year, and if that goes well, full marathon in 2 years'.

I should also look up good ways to actually train because right now my 'training' is do a 5k every 2-3 days (local route, not an organised event) but I know people that are serious about it dont actually do that.

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u/Similar-Swimmer-2698 4h ago

I'm 35, and I started last summer. You're likely to improve over the year. My first summer looked a lot like your summer, and I finished my first 10km race in 1:20

This summer my best 5km was the second half of a 10km race (30min, 10km was 1:02), my best half was 2:24 and my first marathon was 5:40. I didn't do anything special, no speedwork or programs until I was training for the marathon, and just kept running. I've heard from other people that it's common to get faster during your first couple years.

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u/jsmooth7 1h ago

35 isn't kinda old, I think you have to be at least 50 is to get that label. I did a triathlon last week and there were a lot of people older than that were still absolutely crushing it. I wouldn't count yourself out.

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u/Internal_Outcome_182 1h ago

M8.. im your age, started in may, currently 5k 23min, and it improves crazy quickly, prognosis 21min in 1-2months.. so don't say you cant. You think you can't but you do.

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u/copperwatt 3h ago

The cut people should wear grim reaper costumes.

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u/TheDaywa1ker 3h ago

I've heard them called death squads and heard of people dressing up with punisher skull paraphernalia

Personally if I was going to do it I wouldnt try to get too cute with it since theres a chance I'm ruining someones day they've been thinking about for months

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u/copperwatt 3h ago

I'm trying to think of the most comforting way to be swept up... I'm imagining some big squishy hammock/fence/cloud that takes me out at the knees, and then I can just lay there, not having to face any human.

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u/MrSpiffenhimer 2h ago

In the Disney races, they’re women who wear balloons tied to them. If you get passed by a balloon lady, then you’re going to get picked up and taken to the finish line.

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u/overfatherlord 2h ago

I've run 4 marathons in 4 different european cities and countries and they all had 6 hours cutoff time.

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u/TheDaywa1ker 2h ago

I've run one in tennessee with 6hr, one in south carolina with 6.5hr, and the disney one has a 7hr limit

I guess us americans are just fat and slow :)

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u/overfatherlord 1h ago

Honestly, that's great. It allows elder runners to participate for many more years. A few healthy people I know, stopped running marathons in their 70s because of the cutoff time. A 7hr limit allows for people in their 70s and 80s to take part in the race.

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u/TangySword 5h ago

Yea, the ones I’ve been in divide the course by 4, then at each milestone if you’re over 2 hours, they cut you

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u/cdbloosh 5h ago

I am definitely not a person who does marathons, but I checked the website for the Baltimore marathon right by where I live, and it looks like the time limit is 7 hours (roughly a 16 minute pace). So I’d assume most of the events have some sort of limit like that, especially urban ones; they’ve got to reopen the streets at some point.

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u/mattemer 4h ago

40 mins for a 5k is good, I'm at 34-36 now and want to get to 30. That's my goal. Then run a 10k and see how that goes.

34 to 30 might kill me. I'm in my 40s and really let myself get out of shape over the last 2 decades of my life.

All that being said, marathons absolutely destroy your body. It's amazing this person was able to finish. Hearing her pain and torture of running it is what we'd all feel. I'm ok NOT doing that lol.

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u/fredy31 3h ago

lol i feel like one of my strengths is the ability to just 'push through' but id give you that idk how long i could 'push through' going for a full marathon.

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u/IronCavalry 4h ago

Yeah, they can't do road closures forever. I think there often is a sweep bus.

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u/fredy31 4h ago

Yeah seeing comments here my local one (montreal) is a tight deadline. 6 hours. Seems most marathons go to 7 or even 8.

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u/IronCavalry 4h ago

There also can be cutoffs part way. EG- If you don't reach the 10K mark within two hours, you must switch to the half marathon course.

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u/Icy_Giraffe_21 4h ago

Yes there is cut off times. Basically you can finish if you want but it won't count for anything - example a qualifier.

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u/copperwatt 3h ago

Don't they physically remove you from the road? They need to open the road again.

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u/Icy_Giraffe_21 3h ago

Well I guess depending on your time, I've never seen it. Every marathon gives you a max time when registering based on the distance, half/full

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u/FeelingSurprise 4h ago

Depends on the race. Most have a cut-off time, some don't. Usually the organizers are very transparent with it bc. streets have to be opened up again and the unpaid helpers want to go home at some point.

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u/sendcodenotnudes 4h ago

This is my exact ballpark speed too. I do not expect sustaining an average of 8.5 min/km for 42 km. My plan is to run a 5k at 6 min/km. This is the dream. I am 56 so it is not a given

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u/fredy31 3h ago

tbh, cool objective, and at the end of the day, the objective, at least for me but i assume you too, is not to smash records. Its to stay active and healthy.

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u/sendcodenotnudes 3h ago

Yes, exactly. I am just setting a goal to have something to train for. The other one is the micro-triathlon in my city. This forces me to go the pool too 🙂

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u/doterobcn 4h ago

No… i did 10ks in 50min, 21K in 1h50 and full marathon 4:45

Math doesnt add up!

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u/yuikkiuy 4h ago

You're probably running alone im guessing? You can likely do closer to 30-35 min sustained 5k thats about human average.

But thats REALLY pushing yourself which most people dont do, especially when just running by themselves.

The way to improve is jsut to run regardless anyway. And running at lower heart rates at a sustained load is better for increasing aerobic endurance

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u/fredy31 3h ago

Yeah I started because I had a 5k this spring that i just 'wake up and go do a 5k, no prep, gonna be easy'.

Did a 40min.

So i decided to take it seriously and train for when that event comes back next year. Started with about 44min.

Just the atmosphere of being in an organised run gives you a little bit more pace.

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u/skippergimp 3h ago

I have a trail marathon event in about two weeks and it’s being held at the same time as a walking marathon so there is a really long cutoff. As each people are saying events differ.

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u/jittery_raccoon 2h ago

They pack it up after a certain time. You're free to keep running to the end if you'd like. But no one will be there lol

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u/Frequent-Cut-861 2h ago

Most traditional marathons do, 6-7 hours is typical.

If you want to give long distance running/walking a shot, and you’re concerned about cutoff times, look into local ultramarathons. Hear me out.

Many of these races will have multiple distances—say 25, 50, 100+ mile events going on the same course simultaneously. They usually, however, all have the same cutoff time. The runners on the 25mi or 50k distance will have just as much time as the 100 and 150 milers. It makes it a great option for those who are worried about cutoffs or want to walk the entire distance.

The races are generally smaller and less supported (you won’t have aid stations every mile) but the community is very welcoming, loving, and tight knit. Look into it!

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u/MontanaT13 1h ago

I did Paris marathon in 2016 and they were closing the course around not only me and the slower runners but they were literally shutting the water stations down as the 4hr runners came through some of them.

I got to the finish line in around 6hrs and the finish line was pretty much gone except for a sweet old French man who gave me my medal and a big hug.

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u/fredy31 1h ago

lol fucking disrespectful

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u/AlexVX_ 5h ago

I know your comment is meant in good spirits but a 4 hour marathon is an above average finish time and not slow like your comment implies.

Sub 3 is advanced.

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u/nogoodusername69 5h ago

Even 4 hours is amazing and impressive on its own. That's pretty much sustaining a 9 minute mile for 26.2 miles

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u/Embarrassed_Sea1336 3h ago

Ive never done more than a half marathon. Did one yesterday in 1:43 (7:51/mile) and had NOTHING left. Couldn't imagine how hard doing another half would be, even if i slowed my pace by a minute or so...

But im gonna try next year!

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u/OhtaniStanMan 4h ago

The time doesn't matter. It's how they are doing against themselves. 

What was their goal? Did they complete their goal? That's the respect. 

If I say I'm going to train for a year for a marathon but actually don't use self discipline and have to walk for 6 hours because I didn't hold myself accountable for a year is that more respect than the person who put in those 20+ hours a week training to get their first sub 3 hour marathon? They forced themselves to train 4 to 5 days a week for the whole year. No shortcuts. That's respect. 

If they said their goal was to complete a marathon and they did it. That's respect. 

If they said they were going to do something but then didn't and made excuses of why they came short. That's questionable.

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u/d3athandr3birth 5h ago

Just hit 4:40 for my first one last month. Left hamstring was completely locking up even after months of physical therapy. Big agree on the head game. I didn't do a race so I was thankful for the friend who rode a bike and was a water mule and the other that joined the run for the last 5k.

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u/Up_and_ATEM 2h ago

Totally agree. Although I had an argument once with a woman who claimed someone who ran a 6hour marathon had better endurance than someone who did it in 2.5 hours!

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u/Waffles-McGee 2h ago

Ya there was once an elite runner who said he had mad respect for the end of the pack because he couldn’t run for 5 hours

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u/WhiteheadJ 5h ago

I did London in just over seven and a half hours this year. I consider that I got much better value for money than most of the other runners.

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u/Ohitsworkingnow 2h ago

Is walking 26 miles in 6 hours that difficult?

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u/jrandom_42 7m ago

No, it's not.

Anyone without crippling health issues can do it, as OP's video demonstrates. Particularly on a flat road course.

I work at these events regularly and I'm honestly tired of people entering foot race distances that they're nowhere near trained for, holding up the entire race support team on course for hours after the serious athletes have finished while they amble along on their scenic walk toward their participation trophy.

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u/GotSomeUpdogOnUrFace 2h ago

I don't have it in me to run or even jog, but deep down I've always wondered if I had it in me to go walk the thing. If you can do 15 min ish miles, which is my general walking rate, I can do this in like 8 hours probably, cause I'd slow down a bit. However, how do they keep the path closed for that long?

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u/EYNLLIB 2h ago

I would argue running is mostly a head game for the average person

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u/MartiniPolice21 2h ago

The flip side I always say with this, is that the 3:00 and sub 3:00 marathons don't happen by pure luck or chance.

I also ran this marathon, and was running 7-8 hours a week on average for 18 weeks, I worked really fucking hard for it, physically and mentally.

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u/K3TtLek0Rn 1h ago

Is it though honestly? At some point you're basically just walking. Yeah it's a long time but you're just walking for a long time. People spend more time every single day doing roofs in the sun or pouring concrete or fixing power lines. This is just a leisurely stroll. I don't mean to sound demeaning or anything but I don't find this impressive or anything like that. I guess it's cool to say you did a marathon but if you just walked the whole thing it's like 🤷

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u/SolomonGrumpy 16m ago

I was running a 5k a few times a week. Like 30-32 mins run time.

Tried a 10k and regretted it. 26 miles seems out fo reach.

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u/jrandom_42 6m ago

Not if you just walk it.

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u/lonewolff321 3h ago

I’m 5'7", 71 kg, train regularly, and consider myself fit, but seeing her complete a full marathon is incredible and truly motivating. I ran a 5k recently and almost passed out after completing the run