I ran 26 miles the other day
My fellow runners and I lined up bright & early with our pace groups. All along the 13 mile trail, we sipped water & Gatorade from paper cups. At the finish line, there were balloons, cheering friends, and pancakes. I even got a medal.
But it wasn’t a race. There was no National Anthem. No timing chips or official clock. To be honest, I only have a vague idea of how long the run took us – but with bathroom breaks and photo opps…well, it’s safe to say that none of us would’ve qualified for Boston that day.
On February 23, I’m running the 26.2 with Donna. It will be my second official marathon. And apart from the extra 2 tenths of a mile, I’ll run the same 26 miles that I ran during my training run. Hopefully I’ll run them a bit faster. There won’t be 10 minute bathroom breaks or chocolate covered pretzels to celebrate the halfway point. But 26 miles is 26 miles – right?
So here’s my question. Does it have to be an “official marathon” to be considered a marathon? Or does any 26 mile run count as a marathon? Will I be running my second marathon or my fourth?