Frank Charles Shorter is an American former long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. His Olympic success, along with the achievements of other American runners, is credited with igniting the running boom in the United States during the 1970s.
Shorter in 2002
Shorter (left) running 10,000 m at the 1972 Olympics, stamp of Umm al-Quwain
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of 42.195 km, usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divisions. More than 800 marathons are held throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes, as larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.
Competitors during the 2007 Berlin Marathon
Competitors during the 2014 Orlen Warsaw Marathon
Aerial view of runners in the Kigali International Peace Marathon in Rwanda, 2019
Participant at the 2016 Boston Marathon