Why Do People Run Marathons?人们为何热衷于跑马拉松？

At the 1896 Olympics in Athens， the first organised marathon involved only 17 athletes.

在1896年的雅典奥运会上，首届有组织的马拉松比赛仅有17位选手参加。

Marathoning has come a long way1 since. We also now understand a great deal more about the science of long-distance running， from its health impacts to the psychological motivations.

从那以后，马拉松比赛已取得长足发展。从对健康的影响到跑者的心理动因，我们现在对长跑也有了远多于以往的科学认知。

So， what are the benefits of running a marathon， and why are the races so popular？

那么，跑马拉松究竟有何益处？为什么人们如此热衷于参加马拉松赛事呢？

With no hopes of winning a gold medal or getting one’s name etched in sport history books， some may wonder why people run marathons at all. The training requires a major commitment of time， energy and sweat， and the races can be gruelling.

或许有人不解：既然无望赢得金牌，也不会留名体育史册，人们到底为什么要跑马拉松？更何况马拉松训练需要付出大量的时间、精力和汗水，比赛亦可让人筋疲力尽。

Yet despite that， marathon participation in the US has risen 255% since 1980， and applications for the London Marathon have grown every year since the first race in 1981， which had 7，747 runners. In 2018， the number of worldwide marathon finishers was estimated to be 1，298，725.

尽管如此，自1980年起，美国的马拉松参赛人数仍增长了255%。伦敦马拉松自1981年首届7747人参赛，此后报名人数逐年递增。2018年，全球马拉松完赛人数估计有129万8725人。

The most obvious reasons why people run them are the positive health and mental well-being effects. While some people worry about the harms you can do to your body if unprepared， the overall health benefits tend to significantly outweigh any risks with proper training. The benefits for weight loss and cardiovascular health are well known， but research is continually unveiling new upsides. Running marathons cuts years off your “artery age”， for example， and a study led by Astrid Roeh at the University of Augsburg showed a possible relationship between improved cognitive function and greater eye health as a result of marathoning.

人们之所以热衷于跑马拉松，最明显的原因是这项运动能为身心健康带来积极影响。尽管有人担忧，没有锻炼基础就去跑马拉松可能会造成身体损伤，但经过合理训练，该运动对全身健康的益处往往远超任何风险。众所周知，跑马拉松有益于减肥以及心血管健康，而且不断有研究证明该运动有更多益处——比如能够为动脉“减龄”。此外，由奥格斯堡大学阿斯特丽德·勒主持的一项研究显示，更好的认知功能与更健康的双眼之间可能存在联系，而这种联系是跑马拉松产生的结果。

But what about the psychological motivations？ Each runner will give you different answers.

那么，人们参赛的心理动因又是什么呢？每位跑者对此有不同的答案。

“It’s the feeling of accomplishment I get crossing the finish line that keeps me coming back，” says Matt Huff， a New Yorker and author of Marathoner： What to Expect When Training for and Running a Marathon. “There is a surge to it you don’t get from other sports， because the sheer amount of time and effort that goes into a single marathon dwarfs2 that of an individual soccer game or tennis match. ‘Can you push yourself through enough hell to finish’ is the only question.”

“正是冲过终点线那一刻的成就感不断吸引我重返马拉松赛道。”来自纽约、著有《马拉松跑者：训练和比赛时会发生什么》一书的马特·赫夫如是说，“这种成就感之强烈，其他任何运动都难以企及，因为单是一场马拉松所需倾注的时间与精力就足以让一场足球赛或网球赛相形见绌。唯一的问题在于，你是否能在困境中逼自己咬牙坚持直至冲过终点。”

For other runners， rising above physical limitations is part of the appeal. Tom Eller is a deaf-born marathoner who lives in Essen， Germany， and has run 11 marathons. He ran a 2：47：11 in the 2019 Berlin Marathon， making him the fastest deaf German marathon runner. Eller， who teaches deaf and blind students， says， “I challenge my life， which has communications barriers， by running marathons around the world to show people that even disabled people can achieve great things. For my deaf kids and teenagers at school， I am a role model.”

对其他跑者而言，跑马拉松的部分魅力源自超越自身极限。来自德国埃森市的汤姆·埃勒是位先天失聪的马拉松爱好者，他已经参加了11场马拉松比赛。在2019年的柏林马拉松比赛中，他以2小时47分11秒的好成绩成为德国最快的聋人马拉松跑者。作为聋盲学生的老师，埃勒表示：“我通过在全球各地参加马拉松比赛来挑战自己充满沟通障碍的人生，以此向世人证明，即便是残障人士也能成大事。对学校里的失聪儿童和青少年来说，我是一个榜样。”

And for Kailey Bennet， a faculty assistant at Harvard University， marathons help her transcend her epilepsy. But mainly she runs because it is a way to experience other cultures. “It’s how I explore the world，” she explains. “I firmly believe one of the best ways to experience a new city is on their marathon day.”

对哈佛大学的助教凯莉·贝内特来说，跑马拉松帮助她挣脱了癫痫病的枷锁，但她跑马拉松主要是因为这是一种体验其他文化的途径。“这就是我探索世界的方式。”她解释道，“我坚信，参加一座城市的马拉松比赛是体验城市文化的绝佳途径之一。”

However， while every runner has different personal reasons， there are some general trends that researchers have observed underpinning people’s attraction to racing over long distances. A study from researchers at the Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Poland found that “proving the ability to run a marathon race constituted an important life event for a person” and that it could impact their beliefs about the successful execution of potential future achievements.

尽管每位跑者的初衷不尽相同，但研究人员注意到，支撑人们喜爱长跑的有几种普遍趋向。波兰卡托维兹体育学院的一项研究表明，“证明自己能够跑完一场马拉松对个人而言是一件人生大事”，而且跑马拉松的经历还能影响他们的信念——相信自己未来可能会取得某些成就。

Carys Egan-Wyger at Sweden’s Lund University found that aspects of daily life are tangibly and measurably mirrored in marathon running， such as the tracking of progress， along with the necessity of productivity and efficiency. Across her interview subjects， runners tended to cite three primary motivators： freedom， achievement and competition.

瑞典隆德大学的卡里斯·伊根-威格发现，日常生活的方方面面都切实而显著地体现在马拉松这项运动中，例如对进度的跟踪，以及对生产率和效率的要求。在她的采访对象中，跑者普遍提到三个主要动因：追求自由、实现自我和享受拼搏。

But less obviously， Egan-Wyger also suggests endurance running can also be a way of gaining social status. Showing you are capable of a long-distance race projects qualities of health， productivity and efficiency to others， she argues， akin to cultivating a personal brand. This effect is only supercharged through social fitness apps that allow runners to share their achievements.

伊根-威格还指出，耐力跑也可成为获得社会地位的途径，但这个动因不那么显而易见。她认为，通过展示自己具备参加长跑比赛的能力，跑者可以向他人展现自己的健康、生产率和效率，这类似于打造个人品牌。社交健身软件为跑者提供了分享成就的平台，这类平台会大大增强跑者的个人品牌效应。

This may dovetail with research by Jenna Gilchrist at the University of Toronto and colleagues about the role of pride during training and races. Those who experienced greater pride about their running tended to put greater effort and time into their training.

这可能与多伦多大学詹娜·吉尔克里斯特及其同事的研究不谋而合。他们研究了自豪感在训练与比赛过程中所起的作用，结果发现：对自己的长跑经历更加自豪的人往往会在训练中投入更多的精力和时间。

There is， however， also some evidence that motivations differ between the sexes. In one study of runners in Poland， researchers concluded that “female marathon finishers were more motivated than men by weight concern， affiliation， psychological coping， life meaning， and self-esteem， but less motivated by the competition.”

然而，也有证据表明男女马拉松跑者在动因上存在差异。在一项针对波兰跑者的研究中，研究人员得出结论：“相较于男性，女性马拉松完赛者更多地受体重问题、归属感、心理素质、人生追求及自尊心的影响，较少受到竞争因素的激励。”

Running high

跑步的兴奋感

A final commonly cited motivation for running long-distance is the feeling that follows—the so-called “runner’s high3”. It’s commonly thought that hormones called endorphins play a role， but the calm， relaxed feeling that some people report may instead be due to a rise in endocannabinoids in the bloodstream. Unlike endorphins， these can pass into the brain.

最后一个常被谈到的长跑动因便是随长跑产生的感受，即所谓的“跑者高潮”。人们普遍认为是内啡肽这种激素发挥了作用，但有些人所感受到的平静与松弛，则可能源于血液中内源性大麻素水平升高。与内啡肽不同，内源性大麻素可以进入大脑。

During long-distance running， the brain may also dilute the memory of pain. In 2019， Dominika Farley of Jagiellonian University in Poland and colleagues drew parallels between the pain from giving birth and from marathon running. Both tend to be underestimated when later recalled， which may be explained by the release of oxytocin in the brain which influences how the memory is encoded， say the researchers. The way pain is remembered is also viewed through the context： if a marathon medal or a baby is on the other end of the pain endured， one may regard the extent of the pain differently.

在长跑的过程中，大脑也可能会淡化人们对疼痛的记忆。2019年，波兰雅盖隆大学的多米妮卡·法利及其同事发现，分娩的疼痛与跑马拉松的疼痛存在相似之处。研究人员指出，人们日后回顾时往往会低估这两种疼痛，原因可能是大脑中分泌的催产素影响了记忆的编码方式。人们记忆疼痛的方式也受特定情境的影响：如果忍受疼痛后可以收获一枚马拉松奖牌或迎接一个新生命的到来，那么人们对疼痛程度的感受也会截然不同。

This may help to explain why “repeat marathoners” are common. An 18-time marathoner and teacher， Erin McBride， ran her first marathon in 2005 when she turned 18. “I was convinced I’d be a one-and-done runner. Tick it off the bucket list and never look back. But that November day in 2005 changed my life forever. And since then I’ve committed to running at least one marathon a year， and many have been with a family member by my side.”

这或许可以解释为什么“马拉松常客”如此常见。已跑完18场马拉松的教师埃琳·麦克布赖德在2005年年满18岁后首次参赛。“我当时确信自己跑一次就够了，只是为完成愿望清单上的一个目标，之后就会将其抛之脑后。但是，2005年11月的那一天竟永远改变了我的人生。自那以后，我坚持每年至少跑一场马拉松，而且很多次都有家人作伴。”

But few people exemplify this willingness to repeat the challenge than 58-year-old Liverpool runner Andy Glen who has completed 176 marathons in 42 different countries. His current target is to run 200 marathons in 50 different countries. He isn’t immune to struggle， though. “I am often asked whether running a marathon after all this time becomes easier，” he says. “The simple answer is no. The last six miles4 are just as challenging as they were when I ran my first.”

然而，很少有人能像58岁的利物浦跑者安迪·格伦那样乐于反复挑战，以至成为典范——他已在42个国家跑完176场马拉松。如今，他的目标是在50个国家跑完200场马拉松。不过，他也难免遇到困难。“人们常问我，跑了那么多场马拉松，再跑是不是就没那么费力了。”他说，“当然不是。最后6英里始终和我初次跑马拉松时一样难跑。”

（译者单位：天津理工大学）

1 come a long way 取得巨大进展。

2 dwarf 使相形见绌；使显得矮小。

3跑者高潮指跑步时突然出现的欣快感，表现为强烈的健康幸福感和时空障碍超越感等。

4 6英里约为9656米。

Marathon Facts （2）

● The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon.

Established in 1897， the Boston Marathon holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest annual marathon. Held on Pat-riots’ Day （the third Monday of April）， the event attracts elite runners and enthusiastic participants from around the globe. The challenging course and rich history of the Boston Marathon make it one of the most prestigious and iconic races in the world.

● The New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world.

The New York City Marathon， first held in 1970， has grown to become the largest marathon globally in terms of the number of participants. With its expansive route through all five boroughs of New York City， the race showcases the city’s diversity and energy while drawing massive crowds and international attention.