Happened to me once. It wasnt that I was out of breath or tired or my heart was beating too hard, it was just my legs literally would not obey my brain to move. Its an absolutely freaky thing if you've ever had it happen to you. You say "Move legs!" And they say "NO!"
I've only done 1 marathon so far, and I hit the wall at the start of mile 25 - it was like my body could go no further. My mile splits only went up by a minute (so I was still moving), but I empathize with this guy, because basically your body and mind shut down and it's like you can't function anymore. I've never felt more pain in my life - next time I'm going to do a better training plan and try to not hit the wall again
Good for this guy for actually continuing! I'm doing my first 20 miles this weekend. Training for NYC in November. Hopefully I won't hit any walls - literally or figuratively!
Absolutely!! I hit the wall in a marathon with calves that were killing me. Finished though but no joke. My heart goes out to people that hit the wall and cramp up.
What awful comments some people have made -- this man committed to a very challenging event, and pushed his body as far as it could go - to even get to that point is an accomplishment and takes courage and determination. Most of us would just stop or walk well before getting to this point. He should be applauded not made fun of.
poor bugger. I just counted 91 people run past him so that's gotta hurt too. I had agonizing cramp after the finish of an Olympic distance tri just 3 weeks ago, so I feel you pain.
What an agonizing situation for a marathon runner, particularly being so close to the finish line. I've come close to hitting the wall but managed to stagger forward.
it certainly requires a lot of effort to complete a marathon and these runners reflect that as they hobble along after heelstriking for the past 26 miles.
yea. That is a good description. I think that slowing down for a bit, allows you body to recover your sugar somewhat. but It is not one thing for all occasions, you could have a "wall" for many reasons. This guy in the vid looks as if he is having leg cramps. I have always heard the "wall" to be about energy or sugar as you described.
Is that really what happens when you hit the wall? I thought hitting the wall was when you switch to fat burning and your body takes a bit to make the change... for me, I just slow down a little and then all of a sudden I'm able to accelerate again.
"Hitting the wall" is an expression used by runners for when you "run out of gas", so-to-speak, and feel like you have no energy left and can barely think straight or walk straight, let alone run.
@runnerkid18 Marathon is tough, but hardest thing ever is exaggerated. Ultras are harder, but still not the worst. You just have to nourish properly and run correctly
It looks like both his legs just cramped up. This happened to me before when hiking. Both your legs just cramp immediately and you cant even move an inch or else they cramp again.
Some of you people need to remember that the first guy who ever ran a "marathon" dropped dead immediately afterwards. Hit a wall is exactly what it looks and feels like.
its not so much "hitting the wall" at that point, you've hit the wall, and then if you push through you whole body cramps up (like tensing up all your muscles at once) and you can barely move. all you can do is stop, stretch it out, and try to run/walk a little.
@LooieENG2 None - I stick to 5k/10k and mile races and I would smoke gramps in any of those races. I have never understood the point of "running" a marathon at 10+ minute per mile pace. What is the point?
This happened to me in my very first marathon years ago. Around 25K. Your soleus and gastrocemeius muscles palpitate like it has their own pulse and your legs are shot. You can't walk or even crawl. I ended up jogging, walking, limping the rest. Only time I've hit the wall because I knew how to train after that.
I had a meet today for my local high school. Very little experience in the 400m (yes, I know, it's not my race though) hit the wall at the last 50m and it hurt SOO bad... I can't even imagine what you must have been going through :-/
That happened to my cross country coach but not quite as bad around mile 20. He had to run a few miles backward because it hurt so bad. He qualified for Boston by one minute though.
I think it isn't literally speaking, but I thought so before seeing the video. To hit the wall, I think it means to hit the limit, the body couldn't handle the struggle anymore
I remember doing the first marathon in Brighton 253:09 but I judged it wrong and my hips were twisted and I was as white and pale as a ghost lucky to keep balance where this poor runner has had it. just goes to show that every good runner has its bad days whether you get very hot, have run to fast or you were not able to put in enough long runs due to injury and illness I felt it a few times in my years going in at half way 1hr 17 finishing in 3:10 due to banging my head but I dropped my hands to the floor first before hitting the ground it was not a direct hit but I was low on sugar at the time. One year trying to get a fast time but due to injury and illness through the year affected me. But this year I did so much better did more training long runs. Just got to get the speed back up now. I feel sorry for this guy though.
If you've never run a marathon, you wouldn't understand. I've done 3 since May and luckily have never hit the "wall" but basically, your body has no sugar at all, which means you have no energy to get to your muscles. Your mind says to move but it isn't physically possible. Besides the physical challenge, it becomes very mental. Its like a car that has an engine but no gas at all.
The first time I hit the wall banging through it though was on mile 21 but then it took bad on mile 25 but still kept going for the finishing line I just did not want to let the team down
This is not hitting the wall, thoses are cramps in legs wich is one of the worse thing you can have at the end of a marathon. It does not happen to everyone.
It is cruel and stops the best athletes in their tracks. I've done Ironman distance triathlon racing for a number of years and it will stop you but the main thing to do is keep eating/drinking through your event. Proper sports nutrition throughout and before your event will slow the onset of carb depletion as all you are burning at this stage is protein.
@owlcu no same muscles (for the most part) but different amounts of energy being used on those certain muscles. trust me if that would have helped him, he would have done it.
@runnerkid18 not the hardest thing ever. Ultra marathon or iron man race is the hardest. But I totally agree that Marathon is hard mentally and physically.
I have been there. Not quite as bad as this guy, but it still hurt like hell. Other than both quads going south on me, I was fine. But man, I will be well-hydrated with salt tabs for the next one. This poor bastard looked like he was out there directing traffic. He must've been hella embarrassed!
pitty that the body always tells too late that you were running too fast. anyway, I sure hope he went those last meters, just to be able to say that he made it.
ok, on closer inspection it is evident that his legs have seized... I didn't really get it. I'd call that cramp. He's massaging his quads and feeling his hams. Marathons look punishing, I must say!
Actually, we haven't been shown enough, so I take back the showboating comment... I had thought it was the final 100m and he simply stopped running... it's the last 200m and he could have been walking for a while. The way he walked over to fence and exercised looked a bit sus... And standing in the middle of the road "look at me"... I have never seen any stuffed runner behave like this.
Happened to me once. It wasnt that I was out of breath or tired or my heart was beating too hard, it was just my legs literally would not obey my brain to move. Its an absolutely freaky thing if you've ever had it happen to you. You say "Move legs!" And they say "NO!"
People who have actually finished a marathon, would never dislike this.. there's no such thing as an easy 26 miles..
I've only done 1 marathon so far, and I hit the wall at the start of mile 25 - it was like my body could go no further. My mile splits only went up by a minute (so I was still moving), but I empathize with this guy, because basically your body and mind shut down and it's like you can't function anymore. I've never felt more pain in my life - next time I'm going to do a better training plan and try to not hit the wall again
Poor guy! I'm sure every marathon runner out there can relate...
This guy's a trooper. He looks like he's staying calm and being patient. Congratulations to him.
I like how everyone is nice to each other in a marathon
Good for this guy for actually continuing! I'm doing my first 20 miles this weekend. Training for NYC in November. Hopefully I won't hit any walls - literally or figuratively!
how'd it go?
Absolutely!! I hit the wall in a marathon with calves that were killing me. Finished though but no joke. My heart goes out to people that hit the wall and cramp up.
What awful comments some people have made -- this man committed to a very challenging event, and pushed his body as far as it could go - to even get to that point is an accomplishment and takes courage and determination. Most of us would just stop or walk well before getting to this point. He should be applauded not made fun of.
he got cramps not "the wall"
OMG poor sod, pleased to see he was able to continue and finish in the end though. God knows how his legs felt next day!
Nah he squatted 315 lbs the next day.
made me happy watching him keep going
is the wall ok?
Hitting the wall is when you have ZERO glycogen left
His hamstrings were cramping. The guy who walked by around 1:00 is the one who hit the wall.
Hats off to this guy, total gutts and determination!
poor bugger. I just counted 91 people run past him so that's gotta hurt too. I had agonizing cramp after the finish of an Olympic distance tri just 3 weeks ago, so I feel you pain.
@Killergymsox : its the term for when the body shuts itself down
ran my first marathon last week...I know this feeling well,l hit it at mile 19...ugh!
guys, this isn't hitting the wall, it's having huge cramps at the legs and the hands! big difference.
What an agonizing situation for a marathon runner, particularly being so close to the finish line. I've come close to hitting the wall but managed to stagger forward.
yes when your body just cant go any further, it called hitting 'the wall'
it certainly requires a lot of effort to complete a marathon and these runners reflect that as they hobble along after heelstriking for the past 26 miles.
The people finishing at that point in the race are joggers/race walkers. NOT runners. There is a big difference.
videos like this remind me why I'll never run a marathon :)
@serenabandgeek Some countries flip the month and day around. It's October 19th 2008.
yea. That is a good description. I think that slowing down for a bit, allows you body to recover your sugar somewhat.
but It is not one thing for all occasions, you could have a "wall" for many reasons. This guy in the vid looks as if he is having leg cramps.
I have always heard the "wall" to be about energy or sugar as you described.
Is that really what happens when you hit the wall? I thought hitting the wall was when you switch to fat burning and your body takes a bit to make the change... for me, I just slow down a little and then all of a sudden I'm able to accelerate again.
@Piaseczno1 yes sir white rock lake dec4 il be there. hope ur training is going well
"Hitting the wall" is an expression used by runners for when you "run out of gas", so-to-speak, and feel like you have no energy left and can barely think straight or walk straight, let alone run.
@runnerkid18 Marathon is tough, but hardest thing ever is exaggerated. Ultras are harder, but still not the worst. You just have to nourish properly and run correctly
It looks like both his legs just cramped up. This happened to me before when hiking. Both your legs just cramp immediately and you cant even move an inch or else they cramp again.
Some of you people need to remember that the first guy who ever ran a "marathon" dropped dead immediately afterwards. Hit a wall is exactly what it looks and feels like.
its not so much "hitting the wall" at that point, you've hit the wall, and then if you push through you whole body cramps up (like tensing up all your muscles at once) and you can barely move. all you can do is stop, stretch it out, and try to run/walk a little.
@LooieENG2 None - I stick to 5k/10k and mile races and I would smoke gramps in any of those races. I have never understood the point of "running" a marathon at 10+ minute per mile pace. What is the point?
run backwards, man!!
@ajmpetdragon I agree. i'm not built for the 400, i don't know how to pace myself. i can't do it, if you can then go for you
@runnerkid18 wouldnt an ironman be harder since the marathon is preceded by a 180 km bike ride and 4km swim?
This happened to me in my very first marathon years ago. Around 25K. Your soleus and gastrocemeius muscles palpitate like it has their own pulse and your legs are shot. You can't walk or even crawl. I ended up jogging, walking, limping the rest. Only time I've hit the wall because I knew how to train after that.
that's not the wall, that's complete muscle shut down
i struggle to run a mile, props to these guys
@runnerkid18 i beg to differ the hardest thing is to keep going.
I had a meet today for my local high school. Very little experience in the 400m (yes, I know, it's not my race though) hit the wall at the last 50m and it hurt SOO bad... I can't even imagine what you must have been going through :-/
That happened to my cross country coach but not quite as bad around mile 20. He had to run a few miles backward because it hurt so bad. He qualified for Boston by one minute though.
Ah, now I see, thanks... it's the limit of pushing through the limit, right?
@crimsonmonieful Its a figure of speech for runners it means your body can go no further.
I think it isn't literally speaking, but I thought so before seeing the video. To hit the wall, I think it means to hit the limit, the body couldn't handle the struggle anymore
That guy is experiencing something far beyond the wall- poor guy
lol, i was like - where the fu*k is the wall! ;)
Reminds me of the old Powerbar commercials.
hes a mime so he actually did hit the wall. the bit we didnt see is the rope he used to get over the line
@RustyShacklefeird I think the reason for the dislikes is because they probably thought that he was going to hit an actual wall.
I can only run a 9:30 mile. I'd never be able to get anywhere in a marathon. Kudos to this guy for going (most of) the distance.
Way to finish! Great Job!
I remember doing the first marathon in Brighton 253:09 but I judged it wrong and my hips were twisted and I was as white and pale as a ghost lucky to keep balance where this poor runner has had it. just goes to show that every good runner has its bad days whether you get very hot, have run to fast or you were not able to put in enough long runs due to injury and illness I felt it a few times in my years going in at half way 1hr 17 finishing in 3:10 due to banging my head but I dropped my hands to the floor first before hitting the ground it was not a direct hit but I was low on sugar at the time. One year trying to get a fast time but due to injury and illness through the year affected me. But this year I did so much better did more training long runs. Just got to get the speed back up now. I feel sorry for this guy though.
If you've never run a marathon, you wouldn't understand. I've done 3 since May and luckily have never hit the "wall" but basically, your body has no sugar at all, which means you have no energy to get to your muscles. Your mind says to move but it isn't physically possible. Besides the physical challenge, it becomes very mental. Its like a car that has an engine but no gas at all.
This is no the wall. It's the "the cramp"
Ugh god I know that feeling
Been there. Poor guy. Both my legs twisted up with cramps. Hurt like hell but luckily I was able to walk to the finish.
The first time I hit the wall banging through it though was on mile 21 but then it took bad on mile 25 but still kept going for the finishing line I just did not want to let the team down
@debra1116 ok but thats not what i am being told in school cos apparently u need to stop for the lactic acid to take affect in cramp
@owlcu I'll remember this if I cramp up at the next marathon.
This is not hitting the wall, thoses are cramps in legs wich is one of the worse thing you can have at the end of a marathon. It does not happen to everyone.
My sister hit the wall some years back she said it is the most painful feeling ever.
Honestly, I felt as if I was about to die. Every part of my body was cramping.
Had this happen to me my first marathon only at mile 20. Had to suffer cramps for the last six. I literally could not bend my legs.
@jul059 That totally sucks. I've had killer lock up cramps like that in my feet and calves. You can't move an inch.
I first thought that the guy at 0:28 stole his hat.. haha
That seems like something more than hitting the wall. Like he can't move at all.
@owlcu Thats the only way I was able to get down the stairs the day after my first marathon!
@NinjaThatLongboards Around mile 20...most of marathoners hiy the wall there.
@TheHowks At what mile marker did it happen to you? I'm planning to do my first marathon in 2 months and I'm super nervous!
I experienced the same symptoms as the guy in this video during the bar exam .
this is actually the first 200m
What wall? It looks to me like this man is just very tired.
That guy is experiencing something far beyond the wall- pooy guy
It is cruel and stops the best athletes in their tracks. I've done Ironman distance triathlon racing for a number of years and it will stop you but the main thing to do is keep eating/drinking through your event. Proper sports nutrition throughout and before your event will slow the onset of carb depletion as all you are burning at this stage is protein.
@tashtan1 dude... marathon itself is ONE distance, there aren´t many distances just one...42.195 km.... and indeed ive run marathons so shhh!
@PastaGrae Congrats on finishing your Olympic tri although you can finish one much quicker than a marathon.
I know that feeling.....the body doesn't want to cooperate with the mind.
He looks like Herman Munster walking at 0:50!
@owlcu no same muscles (for the most part) but different amounts of energy being used on those certain muscles. trust me if that would have helped him, he would have done it.
unless your a runner...you can kind of relate to what this is guy might feel...I think all the negative dislikes are from couch potatoes
he later died at the hospital
The assisted runner would be disqualified. You must finish under your own power.
Saw this happen at a track meet once and the girls body shut down in mid stride..
@DJoeist So it is not?
he runs like a welshman
@runnerkid18 not the hardest thing ever. Ultra marathon or iron man race is the hardest. But I totally agree that Marathon is hard mentally and physically.
I have been there. Not quite as bad as this guy, but it still hurt like hell. Other than both quads going south on me, I was fine. But man, I will be well-hydrated with salt tabs for the next one. This poor bastard looked like he was out there directing traffic. He must've been hella embarrassed!
pitty that the body always tells too late that you were running too fast.
anyway, I sure hope he went those last meters, just to be able to say that he made it.
@xxellababiixx the title says "guy hits wall in final 200m", how can you blame me. Relax man.
ok, on closer inspection it is evident that his legs have seized... I didn't really get it. I'd call that cramp. He's massaging his quads and feeling his hams. Marathons look punishing, I must say!
it take pretty much courage to continue after hitting the wall
عَرُضَّيْ . -------------->
Actually, we haven't been shown enough, so I take back the showboating comment... I had thought it was the final 100m and he simply stopped running... it's the last 200m and he could have been walking for a while. The way he walked over to fence and exercised looked a bit sus... And standing in the middle of the road "look at me"... I have never seen any stuffed runner behave like this.
ur a good man for trying to finish
Hitting wall means when you haveno more energies to run... no reasons to flame him !!!
@runnerkid18 not for the other hundreds of people passing him up
I've run the marathon and had those cramps he obviously was having he should have got out of the way right away
@runnerkid18 wat about an ironman?