5 running facts that will blow your mind

If you’re already a runner you know that nothing beats clocking up some nice long miles, but if you’re not so sure about hitting the pavements, let us inspire you with 5 running facts that will blow your mind. Before you know it you’ll be lacing up those trainers and heading out the door.

1. More of us are running marathons than ever
Marathon running is more popular than ever before. According to research by Jens Jakob Andersen at Copenhagen Business School, global participation in marathons grew 13.25 per cent from 2009 to 2014, with women leading the charge with a growth of a whopping 26.9 per cent. The average finishing time for a British woman running a marathon is a respectable 4:52:05, so come on and join the thousands of women already taking up the marathon challenge.

2. Women competing in Olympic marathons is a relatively new thing
It’s hard to believe it, but until 1981 there were no women’s distance races in the Olympics. Apparently the organisers considered distance races too strenuous for women and they worried that they weren’t popular enough to be included. Led by marathon pioneer Kathrine Switzer women set out determined to changed things and, after a lot of hard work over many years, in September 1981 the ICO voted that women could become Olympic marathoners.

3. Runners raise serious cash for charity
The London Marathon is the largest annual fundraising event on the planet and runners have raised over £700 million for charities since the race began in 1981. That’s some serious money for some seriously good causes! And it’s not just the marathoners raking in funds for charity; in 2013 women raised over £48 million for Cancer Research UK by taking part in the Race for Life series of 5K and 10K fun runs.

4. Marathons haven’t always been 26.2 miles long
Without the British Royal Family we probably wouldn’t be taking on 26.2 miles when we run a marathon. When London hosted the Olympic games in 1908 there was no official marathon length, however the Royal Family had requested the marathon start at Windsor Castle and finish at the Olympic Stadium’s Royal box. Guess what? The distance between the two was 26.2 miles, the longest Olympic marathon since the modern race began. In 1921, The International Amateur Athletics Associations ruled that all marathons must be 26.2 miles long to honour the achievements of runners in the London Olympics.

5. Getting dirty is the next big thing
Why just run a race when you can be covered in brightly covered powder paint, wade through water or scramble over tricky obstacles while you’re at it?! Obstacle races and other non-traditional running events such as Tough Mudder and Run or Dye have become increasingly popular over the last few years. They’re a fantastic way to get into running or mix up things up and take on a new challenge, and there are races for all abilities.