To me, running a marathon is one of the ultimate challenges in sport. And for her to do it that many times, wow, she is a strong person. She knows her body, and she knows what she is capable of doing.

marathon: (noun)
A popular form of overpriced torture wherein participants wake up at ass-o-clock in the morning and stand in the freezing cold until it's time to run, at which point they miserably trot for a god-awful interval of time that could be better spent sleeping in and/or consuming large quantities of beer and cupcakes.
See also: masochism, awfulness, "a bunch of bullshit", boob-chafing, cupcake deprivation therapy

There is a whole new breed of marathoner who wouldn't even have considered running something like a marathon. In the past, people ran if they were exercise junkies. The marathon held the ultimate challenge for them.

It's pretty intense. It's not like running a marathon, but it is a mental strain.

When I explain it to people I tell them the decathlon is like running a marathon. You really can't get another one in. It takes a lot out of you. It takes a couple of weeks to recover.

From the marathon runner who took up running in his 60s, to a bestselling author who published 13 books after she turned 65, the 2005 recipients give new meaning to the terms zest for life and healthy aging.