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

在1896年的雅典奧運(yùn)會(huì)上，首屆有組織的馬拉松比賽僅有17位選手參加。

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.

從那以后，馬拉松比賽已取得長(zhǎng)足發(fā)展。從對(duì)健康的影響到跑者的心理動(dòng)因，我們現(xiàn)在對(duì)長(zhǎng)跑也有了遠(yuǎn)多于以往的科學(xué)認(rèn)知。

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

那么，跑馬拉松究竟有何益處？為什么人們?nèi)绱藷嶂杂趨⒓玉R拉松賽事呢？

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.

或許有人不解：既然無(wú)望贏得金牌，也不會(huì)留名體育史冊(cè)，人們到底為什么要跑馬拉松？更何況馬拉松訓(xùn)練需要付出大量的時(shí)間、精力和汗水，比賽亦可讓人筋疲力盡。

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.

盡管如此，自1980年起，美國(guó)的馬拉松參賽人數(shù)仍增長(zhǎng)了255%。倫敦馬拉松自1981年首屆7747人參賽，此后報(bào)名人數(shù)逐年遞增。2018年，全球馬拉松完賽人數(shù)估計(jì)有129萬(wàn)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.

人們之所以熱衷于跑馬拉松，最明顯的原因是這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)能為身心健康帶來(lái)積極影響。盡管有人擔(dān)憂(yōu)，沒(méi)有鍛煉基礎(chǔ)就去跑馬拉松可能會(huì)造成身體損傷，但經(jīng)過(guò)合理訓(xùn)練，該運(yùn)動(dòng)對(duì)全身健康的益處往往遠(yuǎn)超任何風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。眾所周知，跑馬拉松有益于減肥以及心血管健康，而且不斷有研究證明該運(yùn)動(dòng)有更多益處——比如能夠?yàn)閯?dòng)脈“減齡”。此外，由奧格斯堡大學(xué)阿斯特麗德·勒主持的一項(xiàng)研究顯示，更好的認(rèn)知功能與更健康的雙眼之間可能存在聯(lián)系，而這種聯(lián)系是跑馬拉松產(chǎn)生的結(jié)果。

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

那么，人們參賽的心理動(dòng)因又是什么呢？每位跑者對(duì)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.”

“正是沖過(guò)終點(diǎn)線(xiàn)那一刻的成就感不斷吸引我重返馬拉松賽道。”來(lái)自紐約、著有《馬拉松跑者：訓(xùn)練和比賽時(shí)會(huì)發(fā)生什么》一書(shū)的馬特·赫夫如是說(shuō)，“這種成就感之強(qiáng)烈，其他任何運(yùn)動(dòng)都難以企及，因?yàn)閱问且粓?chǎng)馬拉松所需傾注的時(shí)間與精力就足以讓一場(chǎng)足球賽或網(wǎng)球賽相形見(jiàn)絀。唯一的問(wèn)題在于，你是否能在困境中逼自己咬牙堅(jiān)持直至沖過(guò)終點(diǎn)?！?/p>

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.”

對(duì)其他跑者而言，跑馬拉松的部分魅力源自超越自身極限。來(lái)自德國(guó)埃森市的湯姆·埃勒是位先天失聰?shù)鸟R拉松愛(ài)好者，他已經(jīng)參加了11場(chǎng)馬拉松比賽。在2019年的柏林馬拉松比賽中，他以2小時(shí)47分11秒的好成績(jī)成為德國(guó)最快的聾人馬拉松跑者。作為聾盲學(xué)生的老師，埃勒表示：“我通過(guò)在全球各地參加馬拉松比賽來(lái)挑戰(zhàn)自己充滿(mǎn)溝通障礙的人生，以此向世人證明，即便是殘障人士也能成大事。對(duì)學(xué)校里的失聰兒童和青少年來(lái)說(shuō)，我是一個(gè)榜樣?！?/p>

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.”

對(duì)哈佛大學(xué)的助教凱莉·貝內(nèi)特來(lái)說(shuō)，跑馬拉松幫助她掙脫了癲癇病的枷鎖，但她跑馬拉松主要是因?yàn)檫@是一種體驗(yàn)其他文化的途徑?！斑@就是我探索世界的方式?！彼忉尩?，“我堅(jiān)信，參加一座城市的馬拉松比賽是體驗(yàn)城市文化的絕佳途徑之一?！?/p>

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.

盡管每位跑者的初衷不盡相同，但研究人員注意到，支撐人們喜愛(ài)長(zhǎng)跑的有幾種普遍趨向。波蘭卡托維茲體育學(xué)院的一項(xiàng)研究表明，“證明自己能夠跑完一場(chǎng)馬拉松對(duì)個(gè)人而言是一件人生大事”，而且跑馬拉松的經(jīng)歷還能影響他們的信念——相信自己未來(lái)可能會(huì)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.

瑞典隆德大學(xué)的卡里斯·伊根-威格發(fā)現(xiàn)，日常生活的方方面面都切實(shí)而顯著地體現(xiàn)在馬拉松這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)中，例如對(duì)進(jìn)度的跟蹤，以及對(duì)生產(chǎn)率和效率的要求。在她的采訪(fǎng)對(duì)象中，跑者普遍提到三個(gè)主要?jiǎng)右颍鹤非笞杂伞?shí)現(xiàn)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-威格還指出，耐力跑也可成為獲得社會(huì)地位的途徑，但這個(gè)動(dòng)因不那么顯而易見(jiàn)。她認(rèn)為，通過(guò)展示自己具備參加長(zhǎng)跑比賽的能力，跑者可以向他人展現(xiàn)自己的健康、生產(chǎn)率和效率，這類(lèi)似于打造個(gè)人品牌。社交健身軟件為跑者提供了分享成就的平臺(tái)，這類(lèi)平臺(tái)會(huì)大大增強(qiáng)跑者的個(gè)人品牌效應(yīng)。

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.

這可能與多倫多大學(xué)詹娜·吉爾克里斯特及其同事的研究不謀而合。他們研究了自豪感在訓(xùn)練與比賽過(guò)程中所起的作用，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)：對(duì)自己的長(zhǎng)跑經(jīng)歷更加自豪的人往往會(huì)在訓(xùn)練中投入更多的精力和時(shí)間。

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，也有證據(jù)表明男女馬拉松跑者在動(dòng)因上存在差異。在一項(xiàng)針對(duì)波蘭跑者的研究中，研究人員得出結(jié)論：“相較于男性，女性馬拉松完賽者更多地受體重問(wèn)題、歸屬感、心理素質(zhì)、人生追求及自尊心的影響，較少受到競(jìng)爭(zhēng)因素的激勵(lì)。”

Running high

跑步的興奮感

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.

最后一個(gè)常被談到的長(zhǎng)跑動(dòng)因便是隨長(zhǎng)跑產(chǎn)生的感受，即所謂的“跑者高潮”。人們普遍認(rèn)為是內(nèi)啡肽這種激素發(fā)揮了作用，但有些人所感受到的平靜與松弛，則可能源于血液中內(nèi)源性大麻素水平升高。與內(nèi)啡肽不同，內(nèi)源性大麻素可以進(jìn)入大腦。

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.

在長(zhǎng)跑的過(guò)程中，大腦也可能會(huì)淡化人們對(duì)疼痛的記憶。2019年，波蘭雅蓋隆大學(xué)的多米妮卡·法利及其同事發(fā)現(xiàn)，分娩的疼痛與跑馬拉松的疼痛存在相似之處。研究人員指出，人們?nèi)蘸蠡仡檿r(shí)往往會(huì)低估這兩種疼痛，原因可能是大腦中分泌的催產(chǎn)素影響了記憶的編碼方式。人們記憶疼痛的方式也受特定情境的影響：如果忍受疼痛后可以收獲一枚馬拉松獎(jiǎng)牌或迎接一個(gè)新生命的到來(lái)，那么人們對(duì)疼痛程度的感受也會(huì)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.”

這或許可以解釋為什么“馬拉松?？汀比绱顺Ｒ?jiàn)。已跑完18場(chǎng)馬拉松的教師埃琳·麥克布賴(lài)德在2005年年滿(mǎn)18歲后首次參賽?！拔耶?dāng)時(shí)確信自己跑一次就夠了，只是為完成愿望清單上的一個(gè)目標(biāo)，之后就會(huì)將其拋之腦后。但是，2005年11月的那一天竟永遠(yuǎn)改變了我的人生。自那以后，我堅(jiān)持每年至少跑一場(chǎng)馬拉松，而且很多次都有家人作伴?！?/p>

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歲的利物浦跑者安迪·格倫那樣樂(lè)于反復(fù)挑戰(zhàn)，以至成為典范——他已在42個(gè)國(guó)家跑完176場(chǎng)馬拉松。如今，他的目標(biāo)是在50個(gè)國(guó)家跑完200場(chǎng)馬拉松。不過(guò)，他也難免遇到困難?！叭藗兂?wèn)我，跑了那么多場(chǎng)馬拉松，再跑是不是就沒(méi)那么費(fèi)力了?！彼f(shuō)，“當(dāng)然不是。最后6英里始終和我初次跑馬拉松時(shí)一樣難跑?！?/p>

（譯者單位：天津理工大學(xué)）

1 come a long way 取得巨大進(jìn)展。

2 dwarf 使相形見(jiàn)絀；使顯得矮小。

3跑者高潮指跑步時(shí)突然出現(xiàn)的欣快感，表現(xiàn)為強(qiáng)烈的健康幸福感和時(shí)空障礙超越感等。

4 6英里約為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.