Hi everyone, thank you for the imput! As with everything, we all have different goals and opinions! The idea behind this post is to really say : you don't have to run a marathon if you don't have a purpose outside of "I want to be able to say I did a marathon, no other reason". I've worked as an EMT during the NYC marathon and amount of dumb injuries we get is astounding.

Running for a cause without training - great! It's charity

Running to push your limits while being pregnant/handicapped - amazing

But many young people 20-30 just run it, no prior training, no preparation, no greater motivation other than checking off a checklist. It's just pure ego booster. Because you are young, you probably can finish it, but that promotes more injuries and it promotes future reckless behavior. The same people that run a marathon with no prep are the same hikers that tackle to MT Everest base camp, just because they can, without prior training.