Running a marathon is a big enough feat that even professional runners don’t complete the full distance in training–and still take weeks of recovery post-race. So why do some brave the 42.2K race on a whim? Is it to prove they’re capable of taking on a challenge? Is it the thrill of spontaneity, or the endless ways a last-minute marathon could go wrong?
If you impulsively signed up for your next local marathon, and either don’t have time to or don’t intend to train, here’s how race day might unfold.
Endless potential injuries
With or without preparation, tackling 42.2K at once is tough on your body. Your muscles and joints will be screaming at you well before the finish line (if you even make it that far).
Shin splints: Even trained runners sometimes struggle with shin splints, which is pain around the shinbone caused by repetitive stress. The injury often worsens with sudden increases in physical activity.
Sore quads: If you aren’t used to it, running can cause your quads to become very sore. These muscles are heavily worked in running, and are put under additional stress if you are running downhill or tend to heel strike.
Strained calves or Achilles tendons: Running a marathon essentially requires hours of calf raises, which can leave you with stains or even tears in your calves or Achilles tendons. The risk of injury increases with bad form, inadequate shoe support and running up hills or on hard surfaces.
Knee pain: A flight of stairs will be your worst nightmare following the race, when knee pain takes over and leaves you hobbling around for days. Knee pain results from overuse (such as running 42.2K) or improper loading (likely from your poor form), putting extra strain on your joints which muscles are untrained to adequately support.
Blisters and chafing
A spontaneous marathoner will quickly learn (the hard way) why friction is a runner’s biggest enemy. You won’t be prepared to protect yourself against the horrors of chafing (most commonly of the thighs or nipples) using anti-chafing cream, deodorant or bandaids. You’ll also quickly regret the choice to break in your new sneakers when you develop the world’s biggest blister on your heel or toe.
Cramps or stitches
Muscle or stomach cramps should also be on your radar on race day. The wrong food can sit heavily in your stomach or even begin to audibly slosh around, which can be overwhelmingly uncomfortable. The pain of a side stitch, which usually results from irregular breathing, is more extreme; you’ll likely have to stop to walk it off. Muscle cramps may also force you to stop; these are caused by overuse, muscle fatigue or dehydration.
Bonking
If there’s a time and place to experience “hitting a wall” or bonking, it’s during a marathon. This is when your body shuts down, your legs feel like they weigh 1,000 pounds and it feels like you’re barely moving forward. Once the bonk hits, it’s hard to recover. If you aren’t trained to pace yourself or fuel mid-race, you’re basically guaranteed to crash before the finish line.
Passing out, throwing up or having diarrhea
Subjecting your body to hours of intense physical activity can quickly exhaust you to the point of passing out–that is, if your stomach doesn’t have a reaction first. The effort alone, not to mention eating the wrong pre-race food at the wrong time, can lead you to throw up your stomach contents. Running also reduces blood flow to the digestive tract, which can cause unpleasant reactions such as stomach pain or diarrhea.
Getting stranded
The chances of you avoiding or overcoming all of these risks to make it to the finish line are low; the odds you do it before the cut-off time (if there is one) are even lower. If you move slowly enough, you might still be running as water stations begin closing up–meaning, you won’t get any. Say you call it quits before the finish–you might have to wait for hours to get a lift home, since roads are usually closed in the area.
A very long recovery
Your impulsive marathon will leave your body demanding at least a week of doing basically nothing, plus another week of taking things very easy. If you end up injured, recovery could take months.
