Finishing a Marathon or Half Marathon is not that impressive. amirite?

Even walking 42km in one go is something that most people couldn't do. Running it is extremely impressive.

by Extension_Option_859 7 months ago

If you're sedentary and overweight I'd say you're running significantly less than 5 minutes, and with appalling form/speed at that.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Came here to say that. It's not competitive to walk or even just aiming to finish a marathon, but it is significantly above average, which should make it impressive. But it's like saying playing baseball at the minor league level isn't impressive. Maybe if we took the percentages and translated this into annual income things would become more clear.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

He he me at Disneyland.

by Appropriate-Bad 7 months ago

How many have you finished?

by Anonymous 7 months ago

10+ halfs(1:15) and 6 marathons (2:40) but I find them boring more of a 5k/10k runner.

by Sad-Implement 7 months ago

No wonder you think it's not impressive. As someone who has not done any marathons, if I managed to ever complete one, I'd be impressed with myself, as running is not my strong suit. What might seem little to you is incredible to someone else. Let people enjoy things and be proud of/impressed by "minor" accomplishments

by Unlikely-Target 7 months ago

They seem like someone that takes for granted their own accomplishments

by Anonymous 7 months ago

It's very impressive man lol. You may genetically be an endurance athlete. I don't much care for endurance work. I hate it honestly, it doesn't feel good. I do very good in the gym and I lift HARD. I'm naturally very strong. Your body is probably more inclined for endurance work due to genetics.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Honestly i love being engineered for endurance. I can be sedentary and won't have an issue keeping up playing sports for hours. But tell me to lift or push heavy objects and i'd be limp noodles lol

by Anonymous 7 months ago

This here explains why you don't consider impressive to finish them. I couldn't finish half a marathon in the last place since my physical state is deplorable. And I don't have any medical condition limiting me. I'm just a lazy ass. And I know it's wrong and bad for my health. Still a lazy ass. Not everyone has the benefit of doing sports/exercise. And there may be many reasons for it. But I would consider it an actual sacrifice and a huge amount of effort being able to finish half a marathon/ a full marathon. If you wish to compete, don't meddle with the commonfolk. Compete against people who wants to compete. They are usually among the first places in marathons :)

by Anonymous 7 months ago

You don't like them and find them boring but you keep doing them? Now I get it, you're just bitter than people enjoy distance running and can still feel good about themselves.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Being able to do something that over 97% of people can't do is usually considered impressive. Especially if it's something anyone could do with enough time and effort.

by No-Bear3495 7 months ago

So you aren't… "competing" either. Great dude

by Majestic_Price 7 months ago

That's it? There's people who have run a marathon a day for a full month. But you do you

by Dizzy_Collection9702 7 months ago

And here you are, slicing to the core. Nice.

by ClickWest 7 months ago

Uh huh.

by Freida28 7 months ago

My high-school football team was pretty competitive, but I think only 10 of the 40 is people could reasonably run a half marathon.

by monahankathryne 7 months ago

Football training is a completely different workout than long distance anything.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Those people aren't training for it. I think any reasonably healthy person can run a marathon if they train for it.

by Bergstromchase 7 months ago

I think a 21kms at a slow jog for an athlete that does a cardio heavy sport should not really be too much of a problem. I recently started doing long runs to go along with my weight lifting and Muay thai and managed 13km on my first go. I don't think it would take me long to get up to 21km half marathon and then work up to a full

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Yes I have I'm objectively not someone you would think runs. My weight stays around 230 lbs mostly fat (25-30%) and when I started running I was at 265. I just started running to lose the weight and quickly realized that if I just wake up and do it everyday it's not that bad. After doing my first half I realized that it just is what it is. I'm currently 255 and run about 25 miles a week. It's tough on my knees and ankles but it's just the price I pay for being over weight.

by Sad-Implement 7 months ago

Still a toxic mentality to have. I dont jog but i lift weights a lot. I deadlift 500 but im not out here calling a 405 deadlift unimpressive

by ConflictSpiritual385 7 months ago

I'm glad I run 10.99 minute miles

by Anonymous 7 months ago

I'm thumbing this exclusively because it's unpopular. People who have been long term runners massively underestimate the effort and commitment to build up to 21km for a normal person.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

I started couch to 5k a few years ago and it was so difficult. I never got to the end.

by wehnergiles 7 months ago

Damn that's a toxic, and unpopular opinion lmao. I ran a half marathon about 10 years ago and it took months of dedication and perseverance. The idea that it's not impressive because I wasn't competing against other people is asinine. Saying it's easy to run 10+ miles at an 11:00 minute pace screams that you've never run more than a few miles at a time.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

If it's impressive for them then it's impressive. Fitness is defined by personal goals and your own pace. It doesn't matter if you're the first or last, it's about building stamina. I feel like this isn't so much an opinion as a lack of understanding of why people do marathons.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Some people aren't runners. I played football at a high level and then baseball in college. I could run a 6 minute mile. I was a great sprinter. But even a 5k would push me. I could never run distance. Just not how I'm built.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Running 26 miles at 11 minute miles isn't tough enough for Mr. Super Athlete over here because you aren't… competing with the Kenyans ? Lmao

by Majestic_Price 7 months ago

Our long distance running is what gave us an edge as apex predators. Yeah a cheetah can run like 45mph but we will track and chase that cheetah for days!

by Standard_Grape 7 months ago

I ran half and fulls. It's easy it's just boring as hell training to run. I now hate running, gym is way better and u look better too

by Reese43 7 months ago

And cold

by Safe-One 7 months ago

It's certainly not something I'm capable of doing. To run a marathon does take a lot of work and dedication, it's not something the average Joe can just do when they feel like it.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Have you ever run a half marathon? Just because many choose to run one doesn't make it any less impressive.

by Living_Comparison410 7 months ago

As a fellow runner: your attitude sucks. Finishing a half marathon is a big achievement that takes training and dedication, and people are right to celebrate it. Just because you're more accomplished does not mean other people's achievements aren't worth being excited about.

by Jettie89 7 months ago

OP says, sitting on his couch eating pie and watching Thanksgiving football, that he was a twisted ankle away from starting for the Cowboys. 🏈🥧

by Freida28 7 months ago

Tell them to cut down on calories and start jogging and it would probably be possible

by Anonymous 7 months ago

I have exercise induced asthma. It's not as easy as you think to finish them.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

I think it depends on age. Most people over 30 probably can't even jog 5 miles

by Anonymous 7 months ago

found barney stinson

by PlaneLow 7 months ago

Depends on the pace really, I Tent to walk at 4.2 mph, and the average I believe is 3.6. As long as someone can complete it with a 6+mph average pace, I'd call that impressive

by kessleradolfo 7 months ago

Brother if you had any idea of the time and effort that the average person (not you) puts towards training for a marathon you'd be humbled. It's a deeply personal accomplishment and a challenging of oneself that many hold close. This is a lazy and unfair opinion.

by Professional-Pay 7 months ago

It is to someone that's never done it before. Sheesh. 🙄

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Bro got a lambo for his birthday and was mad his parents only spent 6 figures

by ricetierra 7 months ago

I agree about the half but not the full. If you are relatively healthy, you can likely finish a half without training. You can't do that with the full.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Stupid take

by jacklynschinner 7 months ago

It is like a pat on your back for doing something healthy.

by Appropriate-Bad 7 months ago

damn unfortunately you really got my ass with this one as a 12min/mile runner lmao. thank you for the motivation.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

i get it, but finishing a marathon, even at a slower pace, is still a big personal achievement for some. its not always about competition; for many, its about completing the challenge for themselves

by melyna87 7 months ago

It's a big cringe circle jerk.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

We get it, you bonked at mile 18. It's okay, train better next time. FWIW, in a marathon of 40,000+, only about 100 are actually racing it, and that's generally assuming a deep elite pack for men, women, chairs, handcycles, etc. Everybody else is out there for some other reason.

by Fit-Teacher-3702 7 months ago

It is impressive objectively. This isn't an opinion, it's just factually incorrect.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Has op ran a half marathon?

by Anonymous 7 months ago

The problem here is it's no longer a feat to you. Imagine your first time doing a long distance run and accomplishing it, if you didn't feel impressed or proud of yourself, then what were you doing it for?

by Anonymous 7 months ago

The first person to do it apparently died...

by BeneficialDoctor 7 months ago

This is like lifting forums that say benching 225 isn't impressive because they and all their friends can do it even though 99.99+% of the population can't do it. You're letting your personal abilities cloud your judgement about something that most people will never be able to do.

by Safe-Jackfruit3885 7 months ago

I struggle to even jog 5k let alone even a half marathon

by Anonymous 7 months ago

I don't think you've ever done a 10k at that pace.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

Tell me you've never done one without telling me. Have you ever known someone training for a marathon? If you see the amount of work that goes into just finishing it for most people, you'd think it was impressive.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

You think running 42km is not impressive? Even walking 42km cannot be done with most people in one go.

by Anonymous 7 months ago

It's funny people complain about little children getting participation trophies and then adults put stickers on their cars for participating in a marathon or Hal marathon.

by Fickle_Bat_6745 7 months ago

Yeah I hate it when people do things that they enjoy >:(

by Flaky_Plate 7 months ago

It's putting it on their car like they won the race. All they did is participate.

by Fickle_Bat_6745 7 months ago

Finishing a marathon is only impressive if you don't train for it. If you can complete the training for a marathon, it's pretty easy to finish. The real achievement is conditioning your body to be able to run 26 miles without your legs destroying themselves.

by Bergstromchase 7 months ago

I walk a half marathon per day almost every week.

by ziemannjeanie 7 months ago