Athletic Training

78 ATHLETIC TRAINING craze was being pursued by boys and imma– ture young men, not properly trained, I · sounded a warning against it, and I have been trying ever since to persuade boys and young men not fitted ·for a race which re– quires so much endurance to leave it alone. In particular, no boy under eighteen years should run this distance. Twenty years is young enough for so great an effort. Before an athlete decides to take up Mara– t~on running he should be very sure of him– self on several points. First of all, he should know that he has the endurance for a long run, the Marathon distance being approxi– mately 2,5 miles. The fact that a young man can run 5 miles is not good evidence that he can run 2,5 miles. I have always gone on this theory, that if one can run 5 miles comfortably, he can also run 10 miles without injury. And if one finds that 10 or 12, miles can be covered without great distress the chances are that with the proper training he can go the Marathon distance. In other words, one should never take up Marathon running un– less he has demonstrated to himself that he has the s~rength to do it.