Going the Distance: Marathons Trivia Quiz

Answer: A place

On the plains of Marathon, a Greek village some twenty-odd miles from Athens, the Greek army won a victory over the Persians in 490 BC. Legend maintains that the runner Pheidippides ran the distance from Marathon to Athens and collapsed and died after announcing the victory. (Like most legends, this one is disputed by historians.)

Answer: False

In fact, the marathon distance did not appear in the Olympics until the first modern games in 1896. The event was designed to show Greek pride and, fittingly, was won by a Greek athlete, Spiridon Louis.
The longest race at Olympia was 4,608 meters, much shorter than today's marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers.

Answer: Traditionally, the men's marathon was the first Olympic event after the opening ceremonies.

The first seven Olympic marathons (1896-1920) used courses of six different lengths. For the London games in 1908, the course which began at Windsor Castle was lengthened to 42.195 km. This distance has been the official Olympic distance since 1921.

The men's marathon was and remains the closing event of the Olympic Games, with the course ending in a stadium, to cheering crowds.

Answer: Nurmi ran his races barefoot.

Nurmi won his Olympic races at distances ranging from 1500-10,000 meters. His dream was to win the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic marathon, but he was barred from competing and had to be content with his nine gold and three silver medals from previous Olympics.

Nurmi wore shoes; another famous runner, Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia, won the 1960 Olympic marathon in Rome, running barefoot.

Answer: 1984 (Los Angeles)

Joan Benoit's triumphant entry into Olympic Stadium to win the first women's Olympic marathon is one of the grandest moments in sport.

Answer: False

With the proper training, almost anyone can complete a marathon. Training programs, which typically last around six months, involve gradual increases in weekly mileage. Some novice runners arrive for their first marathons never having run farther than 20 miles at once in training, and for many of them, the cheering crowd encourages each runner to complete the distance.

Answer: Drinking too much water

Hyponatremia is a dangerous decrease in blood sodium (salt) levels. It's easy to understand how it can happen if you realize that sweat contains salt and water does not. A lot of sweating, a big water intake, and bingo, water intoxication. Hyponatremia causes nausea and vomiting, and can progress to disorientation, coma, and even death. Runners, especially those who are sweating a great deal, are encouraged to alternate sports drinks with water to help prevent hyponatremia.

Answer: Phoenix: Trademarked "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America"

"The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America" is the Twin Cities Marathon (TCM), held annually in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. The race is designed to take advantage of the area's gorgeous fall foliage. Detroit's marathon crosses the bridge into Canada, making it the first marathon run in two countries. Boston's challenging course is open to all runners who qualify, unlike the New York City marathon, which is so popular that non-elite runners must win a spot in a race lottery.

Answer: A race of more than standard marathon distance

"There are generally two types of ultramarathon events: runs for a specified distance and runs for a specified time (with the winner covering the most distance in that time). The most common distances run are 50 and 100 miles or 50 and 100 kilometres, though several other distances (e.g., double marathons or 1000 miles) are also occasionally contested." (from Wikipedia)

Answer: True

The "Seven Continents Club" is comprised of runners who have completed a marathon on each continent. Membership is limited by the fact that the Antarctica Marathon (run since 1995) is cold, remote, and expensive to travel to.