"The legend took hold, and out of that legend grew the modern marathon race."2 .

             Today, the current marathon is 26 miles long, a far cry from the 150 traversed by the mythic Pheippides. The course was established for the 1908 London Olympics so that it could begin at Windsor Castle and end at the Royal Box, but not until 1921 was the official marathon distance established by the IAAF.3 Unlike many other activities open to the competitive and even non-competitive athlete, the distance posed by the modern marathon is no laughing matter. It is a series performance that places great demand upon the runner not only during the marathon, but also in the months before as the applicant trains. Failing to follow a proper training pattern not only risks poor performance, but it wages the runner's health as seriously. .

             The first weekend in November marks the pinnacle of the marathon runner's calendar, the New York City Marathon. This year, over 37,000 runners from 400 countries start the five-borough tour of the City, making it the largest marathon in the world again.4 It's 36th year in the running, it edges out the Boston marathon for the most runners, while Boston, run later in the spring, takes repute for greater difficulty. Both marathons, like all those others run throughout the United States and world, demand a grueling training pattern from each of its participants. .

             Professional trainer and marathon runner Kevin Beck specifies the requirements for a proper raining exercise. .

             "Preparation for the marathon, along with every other physiological stressor that comprises 'training,' is governed by the principle of specificity: That is, in order to improve at a given activity, you must duplicate, or at least approach the parameters of, that activity as often as possible."5.

             Traditional and the most effective training is long-term and incremental. It is important to approximate the distance of the marathon, but building to this distance is an important factor for training.