A viewer question asks how dangerous marathons and longer races are. Also, there is new data about coronary calcifications in marathon runners. Given that the first person to ever run a marathon dropped dead in the Agora of Athens after delivering his fateful message, there are reasons to be concerned that very long distance races are not good for you. Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you! http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/ https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE Email us your questions at thebodyofevidence@gmail.com. Hosts: Christopher Labos & Sophie Tseng Pellar Editor: Robyn Flynn Researcher: Auriane Journet Theme music: "Fall of the Ocean Queen" by Joseph Hackl Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos Chris' book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information. References: RunRepeat. The State of Ultra Running 2020. https://runrepeat.com/state-of-ultra-running RunSignup. 2025 Ultramarathon Statistics. https://info.runsignup.com/2026/04/16/2025-ultramarathon-statistics/ Schnohr, P, O'Keefe, J, Marott, J. et al. Dose of Jogging and Long-Term Mortality: The Copenhagen City Heart Study. JACC. 2015 Feb, 65 (5) 411–419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.11.023 Pedisic, Zeljko et al. "Is running associated with a lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, and is the more the better? A systematic review and meta-analysis." British journal of sports medicine vol. 54,15 (2020): 898-905. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2018-100493 Lee, D, Pate, R, Lavie, C. et al. Leisure-Time Running Reduces All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk. JACC. 2014 Aug, 64 (5) 472–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.04.058 Kim, Jonathan H et al. "Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running Races." JAMA vol. 333,19 (2025): 1699-1707. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.3026 Newman, William et al. "Risk of atrial fibrillation in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis." British journal of sports medicine vol. 55,21 (2021): 1233-1238. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2021-103994 Videbæk S, Bueno AM, Nielsen RO, Rasmussen S. Incidence of running-related injuries per 1000 h of running in different types of runners. Sports Med. 2015;45(7):1017–1026. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-015-0333-8 Alentorn-Geli, Eduard et al. "The Association of Recreational and Competitive Running With Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy vol. 47,6 (2017): 373-390. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7137 Heikura, Ida A., Arja L.T. Uusitalo, Trent Stellingwerff, Dan Bergland, Antti A. Mero, and Louise M. Burke. "Low Energy Availability Is Difficult to Assess but Outcomes Have Large Impact on Bone Injury Rates in Elite Distance Athletes". International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 28.4 (2018): 403-411. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0313
