The 26.2-mile marathon. It's a distance that evokes images of superhuman endurance, pushing your body to its absolute limits, almost equal to scaling Mount Everest to some avid runners. Marathons have bewitched just about everyone.
They are one of the best ways to get a large number of people to care about some very important causes. But is this gruelling feat actually good for your health, or is it just a fleeting fitness fad?