Changes

==Why it is Still Popular==

With the entry of women, the marathon as we know it today had become set. The sport, among the most difficult of the Olympics, has become popular with many amateur runners around the world. Because few other sports test both stamina and physical ability, where the mental challenges of running for such a long distance are as significant as the physical ones, may help to explain why this sport is relatively popular. Increasingly, the sport is associated with raising charitable funds, as amateurs and professionals use the event to raise funds for their causes.<ref>For more on how today's marathon is popular with many amateur runners, see: Murphy, Sam, and Sam Murphy. 2009. Marathon and Half Marathon: From Start to Finish. London: A & C Black, pg. 165.</ref> Over half a million runners ran marathon races in 2014 in the US. Interestingly, it is the over 40 population segment that has grown the most substantially in participating in the marathon. Once again, it is likely the physical and mental demanding nature that has pushed the popularity of this sport for older athletes.<ref>For statistics on the popularity of the marathon, see: Zinner, Christoph, and Billy Sperlich. 2016. Marathon Running: Physiology, Psychology, Nutrition and Training Aspects, pg. 108.</ref>