The Expert's Guide to Marathon Training

Every year, 600 major marathons are held round the world from Maui to Beijing. The US alone holds over 128 marathons annually; every major country on every continent hosts its own events and there are even marathons in the Sahara desert as well as Antarctica. In 2005, New York City held its 36th marathon when 35,000 runners, chosen from 85,000 applicants, crossed the finishing line in Central Park with 2,000,000 spectators lining the route and 260 million TV viewers worldwide. A total of more than 635,000 people have now taken part in the New York marathon and there are an estimated two hundred thousand active marathon runners nationwide.