Running a marathon can take the mind on its own strange and sometimes unpredictable journey. A marathon covers 42.2km, but the most important distance is “the 9 inches above the shoulders,” according to a saying by Joe Vigil, a renowned American coach.
In his widely held view, the head as much as the legs often determines the outcome of the race. “No elite runner goes into it unprepared for the distance,” said Dakotah Lindwurm, 29, who finished 12th in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics and will run the New York City Marathon on Sunday. “I think the limiting factor is often our brain.
” So, what do marathoners – elite and everyday – think about as they run 42.2km?.