A 30-year-old woman collapsed close to the finish line of the 2012 London Marathon. Experts agree that running a marathon puts immense strain on the body, but careful planning can help finish successfully.

Fortunately, most of the casualties concern minor injuries, like sprains and strains.

Dehydration is the biggest problem marathon runners struggle with. In a hard race on a hot and humid day, up to four liters of fluid can be lost through sweating and exhalation. Therefore, it is vital to keep well hydrated.

Following a carefully planned training plan in the months before the race is crucial as well. Besides, once you start training, increase running distances gradually to avoid exhaustion.

Furthermore, many injuries can be escaped by warming up and doing stretches immediately before the race.

US research has concluded that 42 out of nearly 11 million runners who participated in marathons between 2000 and 2010 died. Most of them had underlying heart conditions, but still it means one death per 259 000 runners.

So if you have any medical issues, you should see your doctor before you start training for the race.

You can know for sure that you are ready for a marathon, when you are able to comfortably run a continuous 15 miles (9.3 kilometers) and you feel as though you could still run more, writes BBC.

Ref: 105.105.105.1355