The Best Marathon Stories

Check out the following best marathon stories. Don't forget to contact us with your story.

MarathonChris - Oviedo, FL
The real accomplishment was getting to the starting line. I am not one of those miracle stories out there. Just someone looking for a good excuse to lose weight. So after training for my first 5K at age 40 in 2002, I ran a few half marathons before deciding to try a full marathon 2006. I would run the Disney World Marathon in January 2007.

The greatest thing about your first marathon is that you don't know if you are actually going to finish until you cross the finish line. If you train well you can have a good idea, but even with the best training, things can happen.

It takes you way beyond a point you have ever been before - and you realize that you can set a goal that seems so remote, and then achieve it. That is the power of training for and running a marathon.

Since that first race I have run 2 other marathons - the Marine Corps Marathon in Oct 2007, and Disney again in 2008 with my husband. The marathon distance is no longer a mystery for me - I can say confidently that I can do it. It still takes a lot of work - but I know it pays off.

My next marathon will be a smaller race - Space Coast - in Dec this year, followed by Disney's Goofy Race and a Half - my next real challenge. For Goofy you run the half marathon on Saturday, then return to run the full marathon on Sunday. Another challenge! I have my sights on a 50K race maybe in 2009 or 2010. Who knows how far I can push myself?

This is a great website, thanks for letting me share. I started my blog in July 2006 to log my training for my first marathon. After the first marathon I changed the name of my website and have also started podcasting (on and off) about running.

Greg - Chicago, IL
My first marathon was overwhelming – physically and mentally.

I was very active in sports in high school and college. After college I played fewer sports and gained some poundage. OK, 20, but who’s counting? I was out of shape, feeling sad for myself and wondering why. The thought of running 26.2 miles never entered my mind.

One day, I snapped. I got out of bed, threw out all the junk food in the house, had a healthy breakfast, drank some H20 and went for a very short jog. Huffing and puffing the whole way I didn't understand why the heck to people like to run. I couldn't run a few blocks without feeling fatigued!

Knowing the alternative was gaining more weight, I stuck to it. I ran more each week, started weight training and cut out a lot of junk food, soda and beer (OK - not all beer). I bought books that helped, inspired and motivated me, including:

- Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes (great ultra marathon stories in here)
- Fire Up Your Metabolism by Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos Shames
Mr. Karnazes got me through a lot of tough times in my path back to fitness. And I thought running 26.2 miles was going to be tough. This guy runs 100-mile races like they’re going out of style.

Regardless, after a few weeks I noticed I was a bit lighter on the scale. Results! This was very motivating. I continued to push myself. Week by week, I increased my mileage, ate healthier and increased my weight training. Then, I did the unthinkable. I signed up for a 5-mile race, the Shamrock Shuffle.

This was going to be my first test. I finished in 42mins 27secs. It was amazing. I was hooked. I immediately signed up for the Soldier Field 10 mile. Holy crap, how was I going to complete 10 miles? Simple, by digging deeper, pushing harder and finding my true self. The self that I knew I had in me. The one that I knew could train harder, run longer and finish strong!

Waiting at the starting line, I was cold, filled with anticipation and doubt. I took a moment, reflected at what I had accomplished so far and knew that I had trained for this. I knew that I could do this. I knew that I would finish. I did finish and with a personal best of 1hr 26min 27secs. That’s an 8min 42sec pace!

Naturally, I asked myself what was next? My buddy Vanno in Los Angeles, who I once spent 34 days in a car with during a work road trip, was quick to point out the obvious - THE MARATHON!

Just like that, I was called out to face my fear. I was terrified and couldn’t even fathom running more than the 10 miles I just completed. But it was now my goal. I was going to train for, and finish the Chicago Marathon.

But for this, I needed more than a book, more than a movie. I needed a partner. Someone to push me through. I needed my wife. She stuck by me the whole way. She was a runner in high school and college and knew what it was like to run long distances. We thrived off each other. When I wasn’t motivated to run, she picked me up and inspired me to get out and just do it. When she wasn’t, I did the same.

It was an amazing journey of self evaluation and realization. It was very Zen like. Four months of training to run 26.2 miles is insane, but it really lets you know who you are. I found out who I was. I am a marathoner. I trained, I ran and I finished. To say I’m a better person would not do this accomplishment justice. It changed my life. I was hooked.

As I mentioned in previous pages, the 2007 Chicago Marathon was the hottest on record for the city. The heat index was at a balmy 92 degrees for most of the race. My buddies Mario, Aaron and Dan ran in the heat with me the last three miles. They were a huge part of why I was able to finish that last part. Thanks guys! A lot of runners couldn’t physically or mentally endure the heat. Hospitals were filled with runners who gave it their all, but fell short.

Fortunately, I was ready. I would realize my marathon story! My body was a rock ready take on the world. I finished the marathon that day in 5hrs 20min 6secs. It was a feeling I can’t describe. I was elated. I was drained. I finished what I had come to do. I was a marathoner. The minute I finished I set a goal of breaking the four-hour mark next time.

Don't forget to contact us with your best marathon stories!

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