Now that spring and summer have arrived, there will be plenty of marathons for people to try their running and endurance skills.  Marathons are not designed for everyone like playing professional football is not for everyone nor should they both be.    Marathons are not a healthy option to get in shape nor are they a healthy investment like professional football is not a healthy investment.  If you want to run a marathon and have not done so in the past, there are some things to keep in mind.  First, get a good physical and permission by your physician to begin training for a marathon especially if you’re over 40.  After approval, start training and hopefully you can be trained and mentored by a seasoned, marathon veteran.  There are far better ways to train and exercise to increase your health and that of your heart than using a marathon as an exercise program.  It surprises me that so many marathons are put on by hospitals. In both “sports”, there are injuries and death.  There are just as many people dying from heart attacks running marathons as those who do not run marathons.  Marathons are not an insurance policy for good health.  If you realize that marathons are a sport and you train for it, you’ll protect yourself from some of the harmful effects and  possible death from running a marathon.  If you are not healthy, do not take up the practice of running marathons.