For Anyone Contemplating running a marathon for the first time - or for running veterans who want to relive the agony and the ecstasy - First Marathons is a unique source of wisdom, empathy, and encouragement. It is the collected stories of thirty-seven runners, famous and unknown, fat and thin, old and young, men and women - all of whom went the distance. They will tell you how it feels every step of the way: the decision to try, the training, the obstacles, the unparalleled experience of the race itself. And, more importantly, they tell you how the marathon can change your life forever. This is far more than a training book: it is heartfelt human experience.