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Walking a marathon is easier?
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I was watching a lot of the BBC red button coverage of the finish line yesterday and I thought a lot of the runners coming in around 2:45 to 3:15 looked absolutely wrecked. I saw at least four people fall over about 5 meters before the finish line and had to be helped over by marshals....they literally could not walk another step.
Although I didn't see any of the 7 hour runners, I did see some at around 5:45 and they looked fresh compared to the 3 hours runners!
I was surprised by this really, but that is what I noticed.
They are probably running right on the limit from the start so are treading a very fine line the whole way. The extra heat played a part too as its something that no one has experienced in training since last yr.
Why do it then DF3? A marathon is a pretty miserable way to spend a Sunday if you are under-trained or fighting injury, especially if you'll be thinking how rubbish you are the whole way round.
I walked the moonwalk with my wife the same year I did my PB marathon run. I trainmed hard for my marathon and reasonably so for the moon walk. The moonwalk was in some ways tougher as I had to spend 8 hours on my feet rather than the 3 for the marathon. I probably didn't feel as bad walking it but the bad patches went on for longer than when I ran it. Also the moonwalk is overnight so body clock is pretty shot at the end
No, let's not. Let's just admit you are wrong.
running 26 miles.
impressive? no. (unless you have special circumstances)
an achievement? yes
DF3 - I think you are trying to make a personal opinion into a universal fact that applies to all and of course that is not what running (or exercise if you prefer) is about (or taking part in a marathon).
Each person has their own reasons and targets for doing what they do and their satisfaction will be either fulfilled or unfulfilled based on those reasons and targets.
I suspect a lot of the walkers who looked fed up entered a marathon to run it, didn't put in the training and therefore were compromised on the day by their lack of fitness. They completely underestimated the effort required and expected a fun experience.
I've never done a marathon but am loving my running and embrace the pain that comes with it (a lot of those 2:45 - 3:15 runners who looked shattered will have stood on the start line knowing full well that is how they would feel but were prepared for it and probably embraced the pain they suffered because their target was to push themselves to the limit for the best time - whereas the rhino who ran it in 5 hours but raised £5,000 for charity will have been differently fulfilled).
I think the achievement bit comes in because you'll have to go a whole 5 hours without posting on Runners World
I was feeling awful in those last 3 miles but I knew I would have regretted it if I had eased off and not given it my best effort.
Sussex Runner /DF3 the thread is about whether walking a marathon is easier than running one. It is not about whether you should walk/run. I have done both in as much as I walked the moonwalk (clue in title I think) and run marathons. Therefore possibly more qualified to coment on original post than both of you.
Yes, for the moonwalk, you do some walking around a park but a lot is on the road. Yes I did walk it in a bra (and thong), Fortunately only got one proposition
It's your new haircut, the forum is finding you irresistible
Re the original question, I find walking 26 miles is easier than running 26 miles.
Each year, I do a 40 mile walk over The Ridgeway in Oxfordshire. The day finishes with me often feeling all in, but it never gets as hard as the final miles of running a marathon.
Those unfit enough to be struggling in walking, looking wrecked at 7 hours would probably have been hospitalised if they had run the whole distance.
Of course walking it is easier. You start training from a very early age! People walk every day of their lives, a huge part of training is consistency. You dont get much more consistant than that.
Their feet may ache a bit from the hours on them, but not nearly as much if they tried to run it instead.
It's such a personal thing, for those walking they were probably still giving it their all and 7hrs is an awfully long time! I did walk part of my marathon last year, it was about 22 degrees which was a shock after the freezing cold, wet weather I had trained in. There was an element of self preservation there and yes I am still proud of my 4:44:46 achievement as only 18 months previously I wasn't able to run 26.2 metres let alone contemplate running a mile. A small percentage of the population complete a marathon and some of us just aren't fast. The whole point is that despite not being the fastest we still get out there and run to the best of our ability. Are you saying that someone who aspires to completing a marathon to motivate them to get fit or to raise money for charity hasn't achieved anything because they were too slow in your eyes?
The longest I have walked is 15 miles and it was much harder than running 15 miles. It was in the later stages of marathon training so it wasn't as if I wasn't used to the time on my feet.
Does anyone else think that DF3 is turning into a bore? Same old, same old opinions and answers...yawn...
Well you're going to find out soon enough David!