======= Date Modified 25 37 2010 22:37:36 =======
I had been thinking about running London Marathon but after seeing Dispatches on Channel 4 could not make up my mind. The way in which money allocated by London Marathon to different charities is not transparent and again ordinary people are being ripped off. Do you think its worth all the training or a money making scam to get ourselves away from...?
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/episode-guide/series-58/episode-1

======= Date Modified 25 Apr 2010 22:50:37 =======
Hi Dispatcher, I think the while marathon running for charity thing is a bit of a waste of time, knee joints and NHS resources. I have a friend who keeps doing it, and we, in my circle are suffering from dreadful charity fatigue, especially as great chunks of the money we've raised go on expenses such as hotel and travel expenses. I also think this craze for marathon running is probably storing up problems for the NHS, we are not built to do this kind of extended intense activity, and it will crucify your knees and feet. That's my twupenth worth anyhow! Good luck, I'll watch the programme, thanks.

think this craze for marathon running is probably storing up problems for the NHS, we are not built to do this kind of extended intense activity, and it will crucify your knees and feet.????come on?
http://www.linkslondonsale.com/bracelets.html

hmm not so sure on the friendship bracelets. How about buying your jewellery from www.sneakssparklysilver.com

My spinal surgeon said under no circumstances should I jog and that it was generally the worse thing you can do for your joints etc. However, its hard to find another activity that lets you exercise without gym membership or paying for swimming etc. At the mo I'm sticking to my home exercise bike and wii fit.

I would do the marathon if I could be bothered, but not for charity, just for the sake of getting myself fit. I can't stand people who are always annoying me for race for life etc etc. if I want to give to the charity I will do!

Humans are built for this kind of running! We are actually extremely good compared with other species at endurance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endurance_running_hypothesis

I think the problem comes when its on concrete - all that pounding just isn't good. my surgeon told me (with actions) that I could perhaps go running on a VERY sandy beach, but no other surface!

Well, my joints specialist says marathon running is a complete disaster for the joints of any human being. Plus, doesn't the whole marathon running thing stem from somebody running to max capacity and then dropping down dead of exhaustion at 26.2 miles? We may be better at endurance than other species, but that won't change the damage to your knees etc.

My marathon running mate has pemranently damaged feet too, due to running, she's done three. They are all squashed out and painful.

It's like all things, some people get worse than others I guess. My granddad has been a distance runner his whole life. He ran over 100 half and full marathons. He did 7 south downsway runs (80 miles) and a 24 hour race once (~ 120 miles). He never had joint problems. I think you can reduce the impact if you build up the training very gradually.

Your friend should go see a sports biomechanist. There might be something they could do for them.

I didn't get what you meant by marathon running stemming from 26.2 miles then dropping dead of exhaustion?

======= Date Modified 26 Apr 2010 20:59:32 =======
Hi Super here's the wicki on it

The name Marathon comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger. The legend states that he was sent from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon (in which he had just fought),[4] which took place in August or September, 490 BC.[5] It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping and burst into the assembly, exclaiming "?e?????aµe?" (Nenikékamen, 'We have won.') before collapsing and dying.[6] The account of the run from Marathon to Athens first appears in Plutarch's On the Glory of Athens in the 1st century AD which quotes from Heraclides Ponticus's lost work, giving the runner's name as either Thersipus of Erchius or Eucles.[7] Lucian of Samosata (2nd century AD) also gives the story but names the runner Philippides (not Pheidippides).[8]

There is debate about the historical accuracy of this legend.[1][9] The Greek historian Herodotus, the main source for the Greco-Persian Wars, mentions Pheidippides as the messenger who ran from Athens to Sparta asking for help, and then ran back, a distance of over 240 kilometres (150 mi)[10] each way.[11] In some Herodotus manuscripts the name of the runner between Athens and Sparta is given as Philippides. Herodotus makes no mention of a messenger sent from Marathon to Athens, and relates that the main part of the Athenian army, having already fought and won the grueling battle, and fearing a naval raid by the Persian fleet against an undefended Athens, marched quickly back from the battle to Athens, arriving the same day.

In 1876, Robert Browning wrote the poem "Pheidippides". Browning's poem, his composite story, became part of late-19th century popular culture and was accepted as a historic legend.[citation needed]


It's all the research I have time for, I'm afraid...

======= Date Modified 27 Apr 2010 15:45:58 =======
OOPS thanks ESKA without Knees and Ankles I would feel like standing on two long sticks:$ Is there any method to check whether there is enough lubrication(mobil oil or whatever) present in between two moving parts(knee joint) or is there any supplement to top it up?
What about giving 2k to a charity do you think that goes to people who it was intended to. One friend of mine gets paid 35k with a charity to balance out the income etc...i really feel so (down) when sometimes charities are not doing what they were supposed to. Should we believe what we see on tele?????

I guess you could take a  lot of cod liver oil and glucosamene (sp?)

Thanks Sneaks for that(up)

Having run the London Marathon on Sunday I thought I'd add something to this....and go with life long experience :-) Crowd support was amazing and the training wasn't that arduous even in the third year of a PhD.
First off you don't have to run for charity, you can get a place through the ballot, through a running club or get a good time in another marathon and get a good for age place.
Second the attitude that people are not designed to run and will all end up with bad knees and ankles is ridiculous. Not all runners have problems, and surely the savings on the NHS through being physically fit outways sports injuries? (not suggesting you have to run to be fit here mind).

======= Date Modified 27 Apr 2010 18:00:06 =======
Oh and the 26 miles may come from the Phillipedes story, but the .2 was only added onto the first london matathon so it would finish in front of Buckingham Palace. That's about all I know about the story of the marathon distance - and I got that from the metro last week so it must be true!

is there anything that actually stops someone popping under the barrier and joining in on the marathon?

I would like to train for the marathon, but I'm so unfit, I can't even run for 30 secs. Last year, I got up to cycling for 50 mins on my home bike, like spinning classes crazy. But I STILL couldn't run for more than 30 seconds!