On Sunday, I watched the Flora London Marathon 2008 on TV. Thirty four thousand people crossed the finish line. Sadly I was not one of them, having failed to secure a place in the race. When I lived in London, I was able to cheer the runners on from my garden, and have dreamed of running the race ever since.

I had a friend who ran a gym and told me of the many people he knew who had permanently injured themselves as a result of running a marathon.

I also know many runners who have run marathons and done so without long term negative health effects.

So, on Sunday, I applied for a place in the 2009 Flora London Marathon, dusted off my trainers and went for a run, and as I ran, I wondered just how good is running a marathon for you?

Getting out a calculator, a pen, some paper, a sixteen week marathon training plan, and a calorie guide, I worked out the following.

• If you do a 16 week marathon training plan, you can expect to run about 600 miles over those 16 weeks.
• Running 600 miles is the equivalent of doing about 23 marathons.
• If you run at a four hour marathon pace (about 9 minutes a mile), 23 marathons will take you 93 hours.
• That is about 5,600 minutes.
• 5,600 minutes of running at 9 minutes a mile will burn about 88,000 calories.
• Burning 88,000 calories is the equivalent of losing 25lbs in weight.
• Training and running a marathon will help you lose between 1 ½ to 2 stone in weight!

The benefits to me of losing this sort of weight, is that it would take me down to my ideal weight.

How would losing 1 ½ to 2 stone benefit you?

Are there any other benefits to running a marathon?

Yes there are. Here are just a few of them.

• Increased self esteem.
• Increased fitness.
• More social contacts.
• A lasting sense of achievement.
• Running is fun.

I really like the last benefit. I find running great fun, especially as I vary my running routes as much as possible. Varying your routes always gives you something new to see as you run.

What about injury?

I used to let the thought of injury hold me back. I have since learned that providing you are sensible, and don't overdo it you should avoid injury. Many injuries result from overdoing the training. Another cause of injury is using poor or badly fitting equipment.

If you want to avoid injury, one of the key things to do when running is to listen to your body. Your body will know when it has almost had enough or when things are starting to go wrong, and it'll warn you. If you feel pain, don't ignore it - listen to it and figure out why.

Of course before starting any new system of exercise you should always consult your doctor before hand.

Running a marathon is not easy due to the time you need to commit to training. You need to have a plan, and have commitment, but as I have shown the rewards in terms of your health, fitness, and mental health more than outweigh the effort you have to put in.

Will you use a marathon to help you to achieve your health and fitness dreams?