Physiology of marathons certain physiological characteristics of marathon runners exist. The differing efficiency of certain physiological features in marathon runners evidence the variety of finishing times among elite marathon runners that share similarities in many physiological characteristics. Aside from large aerobic capacities and other biochemical mechanisms, external factors such as the environment and proper nourishment of a marathon runner can further the insight as to why marathon performance is variable despite ideal physiological characteristics obtained by a runner. The first marathon ever run was an unintentional 25 mile trek performed by Pheidippides. Pheidippides was a Greek soldier who ran to Athens from the
Stockholm Marathon Stockholm Marathon The Stockholm Marathon, known as the "ASICS Stockholm Marathon" for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon arranged in Stockholm, Sweden since 1979. It serves as the Swedish marathon championship race. At the 2009 Stockholm Marathon more than 18,500 participants (14,442 men and 4,385 women) were registered. The marathon starts adjacent to the 1912 Olympic Stadium and consists of two loops around the city, finishing with a three-quarter lap around the tracks of the Olympic Stadium. Until and including the 2009 edition, the two loops around the city differed only slightly from each other, but the major part of