We often see athletes of different sports running marathons. But did you not know that running in itself is a sport? Actually marathon training has varied kinds appropriate to all types of athletes.

The two terms that we often hear when it comes to running talks are sprints and marathons. Sprints are the shortest races ever practiced that aim to glorify the athlete of greatest endurance and speed. Because they only last for a few seconds, sprinters are trained to cover the entire set distance at their fastest time. Usually, it is ten seconds.

Regular sprints range between 60m to 600m of distance while middle-ranged ones cover a minimum of 800m to 300m. The latter is expected to be run by ten minutes at the least but it can extend for some more minutes. Long distance races, on the other hand, have a time limit of 20 to 40 minutes as they cover around 5,000m to 10,000m. The second and third type no longer carries the label sprint anymore because of the longer distances they entail.

What is becoming famous these days among athletes and non-athletes are the marathons as well as the half marathon training. These runs are actually held for a cause or to launch important events besides being a mere competition of strength, speed and endurance. Another factor that makes running marathons famed is the fact that some people engage in it just to lose weight. Marathon participants usually do not mind about bringing home the prize. What they are worried about is finishing the race and their running time as most of them have their personal bests that they want to beat.

Just like sprints, it has three types that are according to the distances they cover. Marathons may be described as half, full or ultra-marathon. To begin with, let us understand what a full marathon and we'll use it as a key point to understanding the other two types. A full marathon covers 26.2 miles running distance. From it half marathons were designed which entail around 13.1 running distance. Ultra marathons, conversely, is almost double of it. Half marathon training programs are ideal for beginners who primarily want to manage their weight and can't follow a strict training schedule.

For those ready for high volume training programs, a full ultra marathon training is a perfect choice. If you desire to run a good full 12 week marathon training schedule, you must keep yourself fit for running at least 20 miles weekly as it is the minimum mileage in competitions under this category. Whether or not they win the prize, full marathon runners are esteemed higher than the half marathon runners.

Lastly, for the seasoned runners, ultra-marathons are the kind of runs that bring chills of excitement to them. Those who have trained in running marathons for years are the usual participants of this type of race. Completing a hundred mile distance in the fastest possible time is the usual theme of ultra-marathons. There are some challenges that make them to be survival of the fittest type of races. These are running on rough terrains and elevations for twenty-four hours or several days with the threat of unfavorable weather changes.