I was thinking… what does it actually mean to run a marathon…? How rewarding is it, how good or bad for our bodies? It come up to my mind, because I was trying to count in my head how many times I have actually ran a marathon distance or more, or even less, but with some elevation, I can “accept” that 35k+ with some gain can be equivaled with a marathon. Hey, I don’t make the rules! Actually, now, I do, and these are purely my rules. Anyway, from my count it should be somewhere between 25 and 30 occasions when I ran a marathon, even without it being official. As I am almost celebrating eight years of running, in which I’ve accumulated around 22.700 kilometers all over the places I’ve set foot on, I am realizing more and more how hard it is to do this stuff.

How many people run a marathon?

OK, it is said, and in some many ways it is also documented, that less than 1% of the world population ever ran a marathon. Transposing this at yearly level, the percentage shows 0.17% (!) of total population. Indeed, if you run a marathon, you can consider yourself special, even these statistics are not necessary relevant in any way. However, the achievement is there. But is it a good thing to run a marathon? To brag about it, for sure it is! In terms of health, though, the pressure, and the effort put on your body might be tricky. So my conclusion, to start with it, and not to prolong the message I want to say is that you should not, in any circumstances, run a marathon just so, without any proper training, and, of course, without acknowledging the real potential of your body in whole!

From my dozen of marathon and above, I can say that the main problems I had or of muscular nature, not related to joints or to other physical issues. I did have a knee problem in April 2021, but after running 67 kilometers, in six hours, with 67 turns on the right knee. I was always preparing the big runs or, if I didn’t do it properly, the pace of them was one to be easily manageable. I will point out a list with 23 runs I have did, and that helped me learn many things about the marathon, and why I would never recommend somebody to for one without any proper “due diligence” of his / her own body prior to that.

1. 1 Decembrie 1918 Marathon – 2022

–> it is an event held in a big park from Bucharest, with a loop of 4.2 kilometers. I mention this as the first, because it is the only one where I have managed to take a podium, place 2, in my age category, 19-34 back then, and a 9th overall. It was a race driven by thoughts of abandon, as initially I felt I am not moving sufficiently fast enough – this happened because the GPS track was impacted by the curves, trees and bridges, but in the end, the weather, cold and rainy, helped me to stop very few times for hydration so I have did it in slightly more than 3:18. For me, when the climate is like this, I can have a less intake of fluids and none of gels and supplements, but don’t take this for granted, because I am doing this only because I know too well how my body functions, and, frankly speaking, I prefer raw fruits, chocolate, cheese, instead of runner conventional food.

2. Valencia Marathon 2023

–> one year apart from the first event, I have trained for 16 months to go for a PB in marathon, which I have achieved: a bit more than 3:13 finish time, but 3:10 for 42.195 kilometers – yep, I am adding this, because I am an amateur, and can feel good without being questioned! :))). The training was harsh, but the race itself was quite good. I consider that I could have pushed a bit more, especially in the first half, but wanted to be cautious. On top of this, I have made a big mistake in the sense that I didn’t wear a cap. It was not too hot, as the big event took place in December, but it was very sunny, and its rays were shooting severely on top of my bald head. It slowed me down a bit in the last part, but I did something good also. I took a flask in my hand – I couldn’t keep it around my waist, as it was bouncing unexpectedly, and the decision helped me a lot, because a short sip of water with magnesium from time to time postponed my first stop to a hydration point considerably, and there I just refilled it and continued the habit. So, if it is sunny, always wear a cap, or, at least, have one handy!

3. Athens Marathon 2022

–> less than one month before no. 1 mentioned here I have did another marathon, the Authentic, from… Marathon to Athens – two marathon in around two weeks, boy, you should avoid that! But I am bringing it up because, surprisingly, it was one of my very long runs in which I have felt the best! And the main reason was simple: I had a cap! It was late November, but in Greece this doesn’t matter too much if the sun is up. And it was, but my white cap shielded my head. I knew also about a continuous climb for many, many kilometers. But I must confess, it is not as bad as you might think, especially if you are well trained. And especially if you do some uphill trail running, as I do, from time to time. There are around 13 kilometers of climb, maybe, soft “smooth” climb, but I like this type of climb, especially that the last part was a complete downhill, which helped me a lot to run a very surprisingly 3:21 marathon!

4. Berlin Marathon 2019

–> back then, as Valencia in 2023, it was a main objective, and I was lucky enough to be extracted at the ballot. The weather resembled so much with the one from 1 Decembrie 1918 Marathon, as you can imagine it might happen in Germany, in September. I liked it better than a hot sun over my head, but it is not very convenient to be soaked for more than three hours, especially at the beginning of your marathon “career”. So I suggest to keep this for a moment when you have some experience with marathons – I didn’t have much back then, but I did a few marathons, though. Anyway, my effort was significant, at a 3:39 real time finish, it was something very good at that moment, even though I gave almost my last piece of energy available. One thing, though, you need to consider in this type of mass races is that if you don’t start from a good block, then you might need to overtake hundreds, if not thousands, of runners, and you need to meander a lot and gain some additional distance against the 42.195 km in your final count – I did got around 800 meters more!

5. Ultrarunning National Championship of Romania 2021

–> I’ve made the decision to participate in less than a month before it was scheduled. In the 6 hour run series. Now, I would never recommend to try that. The only thing for which I’ve did it is because in 2020, one year apart, I have ran more than 5.000 kilometers so I knew my body perfectly well! My challenge here is to get motivated to run my longest distance ever in one go, as at that moment I had only a casual 55.55 kilometer run, with many stops thru the lovely Budapest. So I have signed in, and started. I took a very good 3:31 hours marathon rhythm for the first 42.195 kilometers, but after I’ve decided to slow down, not to risk anything – I am a bit kamikaze, but not in full. So, even if I think I could have held more this pace, I have decided to switch from 5:01-5:02 minutes / km average pace to 5:30+ just to be on the safe side. In the end, the strategy paid off, as I have finished 6th out of 11, and gained a bit more than 65 kilometers officially, but 67 on my watch. Now, the biggest problem was my right knee, because each 2 kilometer loop had two very narrow U turns on the right side only so, even if I walked those portions, almost always, as I was aware, the pain from my knee installed for some days. Then, if you ever wish to take a running event that runs with U turns on your same knee over and over again, just remember to slow down as much as possible, but, most important, be aware of the solidity of your knees!

6. Prague Marathon 2022

–> took advantage of this event to come back to Prague for the third time, and it was really worth it! This marathon, overall, wasn’t bad, but I have made a big mistake, considering that I can do easily a negative split, even, though, of course, I had give almost all in the first half. At kilometer 22, I was at below 3:15 time, but the second half proved brutal, with the heat increasing – it was May – and this gave me a first lesson of why you might need to have something to cover your head. It was one of the worst second halves of my marathons, because I didn’t doze my effort properly, but the final time, 3:23, wasn’t that bad. If you attend this race, you should consider there is some cubical stone pavement along the way, and also some up-hills, mostly in the second half, and considering it can get really warm, or slightly hot, you need to be properly hydrated, and, once again, able to use a cap.

7. Budapest Marathon 2020

–> held in the pandemic, it was a verry different experience, a marathon where I didn’t give it all, but not because I didn’t want to do that, but because of my timing in the first half. This time, I have started far too slow, somewhere above 5:30 minutes / kilometer, which forbid me to finish below the 3:40 mark. It is not a bad time, but if you wish to cover a marathon in slightly less than 3:30, then you need, for sure, to not run too many kilometers at my initial pace. Held in October, this race is, generally speaking, an approachable one, but it is not the flattest possible.

8. Bucharest Marathon 2017, 2018

–> my first marathon was, of course, in my home town, and it was maybe the marathon for which I was the least prepared. Well, I’ve did at first some half-marathons, and had pretty good training, because a few seconds passed the 4:00 mark is rather a good result for a beginner, but now, looking of how I approached the race, I cannot say it was the best way. Sure, I didn’t come out of nowhere, but I suggest you follow a training plan before the first marathon. After this, you’ll see how to approach the next, but the first it is very important. I do remember that this was one of the few races in which I had a severe muscle cramp, at km 40+. Fortunately, I was able to continue and finish. Next year, I didn’t follow any training plan either, but I had more experience, bigger volumes, and managed to cut more than 20 minutes from the final time. It was maybe my first marathon where I have felt really strong.

9. Cluj-Napoca Marathon 2018

–> the fact that my marathon from October 2018, in Bucharest, was rather a success was impacted by my failure from Cluj-Napoca, in April, same year. Here I’ve did my slowest and miserable marathon on asphalt, the only one finished good above 4:00. This was highly impacted, though, both by my slim experience, but also by my mindset. At that time I knew I don’t like to run in loops. And here, we had a loop of 21.097 kilometers. After a difficult first half, outside my expectations, the second was highly impacted by my morale, affected by the need to undergo the same circuit again. What I suggest, especially at the beginning when you decide to run a marathon, is to asses your running mindset for such a big effort, and be honest with yourself if you have or really not problems in running in a loop, even if it is a loop of 21.097 kilometers. For me, that didn’t work!

10. Fel Balaton Szupermaraton 2020

–> when in Hungary I took part of as many as possible events, but this was special. An ultramarathon held in four days, having 195 kilometers in total or so. I have decided to take part in only half of it, a total of 95 kilometers, more or less, in two consecutive days. First day, a good performance for 43.5 kilometers, of around 5:05 minutes / km, with a backpack on! The second day, though, was one of the moments when I realized, that running more than a marathon can become pointless and damaging. Of course, I had some experience – I’ll get to that – but what I have encountered when I took off from Balatonfured, remains into my mind: my body was very heavy, and I couldn’t breath properly. It didn’t happen that often, but it happened then. Of course, I didn’t run that often so much in only two days.

–> I regained shape, but another problem appeared: the backpack made some wound on my skin so I need to get read of it – I had all my stuff, because I was basically accommodated and ran from one accommodation to another, from one city to another. I left it at a check point and the guys brought it to me, some time after the finish. In the last part, I’ve picked the pace and finished the 51.5 kilometers fairly strong. Still, my immunity was down, and I would find out in a couple of days after I caught a cold, thing that doesn’t happen to me too frequently. From that experience I’ve learned that if you want to try such an experience, you should not go for more than once or maybe twice. It is really damaging, and I am a guy with a very, very good organism! There is extremely seldom for people to do this, especially amateurs, of course, and not be hitting hard their health.

It was heck of an experience, especially that I have gained my third symbolic award, a 2nd M-30 category podium – I was 19 out of 87 or so, but in terms of pushing my body’s limits, I have realized that this two days back to back ultramarathons should be very rare experience, if more than once. People who tell you that this can be, and should be done, are either lying, are stupid, or just have a unique body, that regenerates fully in a couple of hours.

11. Sibiu Marathon & History Run 2019

–> I was mentioning above that I had some experience in running long distances in two consecutive days. Actually less than one year before the Balaton Szupermaraton, I’ve participated at Sibiu Marathon – maybe the loveliest city marathon from Romania! – I ran it comfortable, with a final time of 3:49 or such, and considering it has some elevation, it was really good. However, next day, I ran another 26 kilometers, between Hunedoara and Deva, from a castle, to a fortress!  I felt better than at Balaton, yes, but mainly, I think, because I wasn’t fully exposed to the sun, wind and the water. In any case, with a final climb to the Deva fortress, I can say that it wasn’t easy at all. But being in total 69 kilometers more or less, it was, in the end, easier comparing to the 95 one year after.

12. Szőlőskör Fesztival Hammer 2020

–> it just happened to participate at a 50k run in Hungary, in the hottest September day ever recorded until that moment. With some pieces of the road going back and forth, that wasn’t the best race of mine. The heat, the full exposure to the sun, and on top of this an elevation of around 800 meters, made this a painful, but also a rewarding race. Initially, I’ve hoped to finish below the 5 hour mark, but the best I could was to reach 5:30. Looking back at the circumstances it is not that bad… But now, considering my 3 and a half additional running experience, I can promise you, that you should do this kind of asphalt race not more than once, if you really want to, because the struggle your body goes thru is excruciating!

13. Primavera Trail 2021

–> switching gears to trail runs, and I am starting with the longest of them all for me! Held normally in March, in Bihor county, in 2021, because of the pandemic, it was pushed to July. July! The humidity and the heat, at least from the beginning, added a lot of pressure on this 50k+ race. On top of this, the final ten kilometers consisted of a loop, AFTER you passed once the finish line, and that was a bit demoralizing for me. The sentiment was not great, and I got some struggles with these elements. However, this experience was wonderful. Initially I considered to repeat it, or even go for the… 84 kilometer mark. But, as time passes, I am pretty sure this kind of races, at least in the next 10-15 years should not remain a priority. You can try this, but I promise you it is better in the spring or fall to go for such monster, that I have finished in 8:45!

14. Valea Budului Trail 2019

–> one month after the Berlin Marathon, I’ve accepted this challenge, in my home town region. A 44 kilometer run with some ascent  – 1550 meters – to be more precise. The timing proved to be great, as it was a good race, finished in slightly less than 4:55. With that elevation gain, the time was really good. I was a bit upset because it should have been only 42.195 kilometers or so, but we ran 1.8 kilometers more. Anyway, a run on the trails, or even in the mountains, from my perspective, is far easier comparing to a plain surface marathon. And I am saying this for me, because I am mainly a asphalt running guy so there I need to push. On the trails, when I climb, I just walk, and catch my breath, and if it is a proper downhill, then I spare energy by loosing my legs to run freely, but very careful, in the same time! The thing with trail running is that you need to be extremely careful, not to fall, or sprain an ankle. If  you do that, I can state that mountain / trail running can be much more enjoyable, especially if you are not very competitive on these surfaces.

15. Moeciu EcoRun 2019

–> this was my first mountain marathon. I am naming it marathon, even if it has slightly less than 41 kilometers, because when you gain 2000 meters or more on these distances, one or two kilometers become irrelevant. What I want to point out here is that, before doing this one or any other mountain marathon, I have always did the halves or the crosses from that specific event! If you are not a gifted trail runner, then my strong recommendation is to go always first for the shorter races and only once you gain some experience on those challenge a marathon. It is not that it is very hard to take it from the beginning, if you have training, but it is always good to compound your experience from small steps, just not to risk anything, and to know better the circumstances.

16. Via Maria Theresia 2019

–> same as above, for this event, I’ve tried the semi first. It was a great experience in 2018, so then I’ve decided to move forward with the big thing, and it proved out to be one of the best experience ever, because the landscapes from the Calimani Mountains are, indeed, very rare! The place is very difficult to access, but it’s worth is huge! Here, my idea that mountain trail running is a better thing for your physical and spiritual health got consolidated. You have a lot if shade and a lot of nature, with fresh air, and far less noise.

17. Brașov Marathon 2023

–> since I have prepared the marathon from Valencia in detail, 2023 was not a generous year in long distance runs. However, I have attended the Brașov Marathon in May, for the first time, and even though my preparation was maybe more solid than ever, I’ve learned a couple of things, which I want to share. In some mountain marathons, there can be snow for some distance. Here was the case. But it was half molten snow, so the grip, if you don’t have some special claws, and a good equilibrium, can be very slippery so then you need to look out, not to fall and hurt yourself really bad. One more thing here, also… OK, this was mainly a trail marathon, but a small portion was held in the city center. And the traffic was not shut! A big mistake I have mentioned to the organizers, because even though some volunteers were trying to direct the drivers, the chances of being hit by a car, when you are just finishing 39-40 kilometers of mountain run, with your focus near to zero, and the fatigue at peak highs, are great. So do pay attention because in less developed countries races are not always separated from traffic, and you don’t want to take any risk on this!

18. Piatra Craiului Marathon 2022 & 2023

–> well, this one has actually only 38 kilometers, but with an elevation of 2300 meters and a deadly reputation, literally speaking, it is known to be one of the most difficult in Romania. I manage to finish it twice, strong, but in my second year I was much slower, around half an hour, because of the… heat. Did have a cap on my head, but the weather conditions, by default, without even me noticing that, slowed me down. My PB here is 6:48 and I am willing to come back for the third time, to see if the 2023 edition was a pure accident or my initial performance was something out of the ordinary. Here, there is a horror portion, where the downhill is very narrow and dangerous, hence the warnings. Since in 2019 two people died here, I am reinforcing that for each mountain run, especially for a marathon and above, when the focus can be seriously altered during the race, just be careful, and place your safety first.

19. Spartan Race Ultra Andorra 2023

–> one of my biggest dreams was to attend a Spartan Ultra Race. And I attend it in 2023, in Andorra, with a total elevation of around 4.000 meters, 50k run + 60 obstacles! My time, 13:30, was a decent one, but the effort made determined me to draw two top conclusions: 1. It is very unlikely to ever attend this kind of event anytime soon, if ever; 2. The fact that I had massive years of training and experience helped a lot, even though my immune system went so down, that I’ve got a huge problem with my stomach short time after. I never encountered that, but the fact that I’ve consumed 11000 calories (!!!!) played a major role. So, if you ever wish to go to such barbarian sports event, be sure you are 1000% prepared. It is not only running, but having a solid and strong mind. I am not an obstacle guy, so I’ve did a lot of penalty loops and such, but in any case, the level of aggression you put your body to is at a level you can never imagine;

–> the medal, and the experience are great, but the fatigue and the side effects can be very debatable. I didn’t have something serious afterwards, yes, but I could have had. Going for so long thru the Pyrenees mountains is magical, but it is also challenging, and I had the courage to do this only after 20+ marathons, 15+ spartan races, all of them up to 21k, and after around 13 years of almost continuous training, being in the form of kick-box, swimming, or running. I didn’t leave this at the end by accident, but because I want only for those real curious, who read all my article, to be warned what does this kind of event presumes!

20. 2X2 Race 2022

–> last, but not least, the only race that shows DNF in the direction of my name. It wasn’t a marathon, but it should have been! 2X2 Race is, for sure, one of the toughest races in Europe and it should have a good reputation worldwide also. Not only it is a full marathon, with 4000 meters+ of ascent, but it is spread ONLY above 2000 meters, reaching the three tallest peaks from Romania: Moldoveanu, Negoiu and Vistea Mare. You see, this was the only race I have attended without going to the “junior” encounter before. It was a big, big mistake, but the risk taken was because it needs a qualifying background and I wasn’t sure I will get that anytime soon – need to finish in the first half of 35 km+ race with at least 1500 meters of ascent. Did it so took a shot. You see, though, this race also has brutal cut-offs, as it should;

–> from the start to the first check point, the Moldoveanu Peak, you have only four hours. But that, in normal conditions, is a 10 hour hike! The problem is that there are no significant surfaces where I could actually run, and my reluctance for not falling and injuring myself, impacted my moving speed. I didn’t make it to the first check point… But I risked to continue until the peak, because I never touched it, but afterwards I was virtually alone on my way back, on my own risk! NEVER DO THAT! Why have I did it? Because I still had some water reserves, some gels and bars, and also because the weather was fabulous, the track was well marked, and also there were a lot of hikers on the “road”. And, of course, because I had a lot of experience on mountain run. But in any case, I took a risk. A risk that you should, under no circumstance take, apart from being 1000% sure you can manage it.

Final development of the already presented conclusion

Now, bottom line, after presenting you these 20 events, with a total of 22 races, I can make a firm statement that running over a marathon looks pointless, and can do more harm than good to the body. It did not happen to me, but it is just common sense, and I felt the weakness after each extreme event. So, I would consider running two, maximum three marathon in a year, but at least one to be on trail, but you need to get proper preparation for each of them. Volumes, and a solid medical analyze of your body and also understanding in how it works, is the only correct way. If you hear people they have ran a marathon without training, don’t listen to them. They should have done it, of course, but it is such a harsh punishment for your body, that can be as bad especially if you repeat it, as being sedentary. You see, every excess is bad. Even if you exercise in excess can have serious consequences. Actually, some of the main health problems I’ve encountered in recent years, followed some very harsh endurance races. They were not that bad, but in normal circumstances, I would have never encountered them.

Then, should you run a marathon? Absolutely! It is a great thing, just do it right! And don’t exaggerate with the loads and the number of events. You can hear people doing it stating how good and refreshing can be, but you don’t really know actually what kind of body they have and how challenged is it in reality. Take it simple, and don’t push the limits too hard, because this is the way in which running can become addictive. And addiction is always something bad, by definition! If you wish to check any of these activities, you can do it here, on my Strava account. Also, waiting for your questions, if you have any kind of questions about any of the runs – just leave a comment! 🙂