26.2 or 42.2 - say for tattoo purposes....

[Strider]

This is ours

[eljeffe]

Actually, its 42.195, as every race in Japan points out (the Tokyo marathon site is tokyo42195.org)

Those 5 metres make a huge difference!

That's funny. I think I'm just going to start rounding up more and more the older I get.

"How long was THAT marathon?"

50 km.

[horselady]

Miles...what are those.....
42.2km...

[toobusy]

I'm like Jwolf, I say miles or kilometres according to audience. But I always say the ".2", just to subtly imply the fact that marathons are a specific, standard distance and not any long run.

I think that's why I do it too.
I'm always surprised at how many people ask.."so how long was that marathon you ran"...lots of people seem to think of any running race as a marathon.
Even before I was a runner I knew what a marathon distance was...and vowed never to do something so crazy

Never....such a big word

[trixiee]

I'm like Jwolf, I say miles or kilometres according to audience. But I always say the ".2", just to subtly imply the fact that marathons are a specific, standard distance and not any long run.

I think that's why I do it too.
I'm always surprised at how many people ask.."so how long was that marathon you ran"...lots of people seem to think of any running race as a marathon.
Even before I was a runner I knew what a marathon distance was...and vowed never to do something so crazy

Never....such a big word

Congrats! Just read the last page of your log! That's a big decision! I know you'll do well! Have faith and confidence in your training plan!

[danziggirl]

I'm a kilometres girl. People say to me they ran 8 miles - 10 miles etc. - and I'm lost. I also have people saying "and how long is your next marathon?" like there are different length marathons. I guess you have to be a runner to get it.

[ian]

42 (without the .2) fits nicely with the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy theme, but I associate the marathon more strongly with 26M than 42K. Around others, I usually go with miles for family, older people, and various redneck acquaintances; kilometers for the young'uns I teach.

[Jogger Barbie]

I'm another person who says either "miles" or "kilometres" depending on who's asking. The "0.2" is sort of automatic and I tend to say it without thinking. Although now that it's been remarked upon by others, I can see how it sounds sort of funny.

[turd ferguson]

42 (without the .2) fits nicely with the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy theme

As does the mantra "Don't Panic".

[Nature Girl]

Actually, its 42.195, as every race in Japan points out (the Tokyo marathon site is tokyo42195.org)

Those 5 metres make a huge difference!

This is why I would chose 26.2. I think accuracy is inportant .

[q]

My tattoo is 42.2 and a running autumn maple leaf. There is a picture on here somewhere.

I'm Canadian, metric is the system we use, in fact, it is what the rest of the world uses, besides the US, so I'm good with that.

I wear shorts a lot (it is on a calf). Not many people ask about it though. But runners get it right away and make a comment.

Good luck with the ink.

[ian]

This is why I would chose 26.2. I think accuracy is inportant .

26.2 is also rounded from 26.2188 (26M, 385Y). The 5m rounding in 42.2K only makes about a 1 or 2 second difference, whereas the rounding in 26.2 is about 6 times more. (I sense a future physics assignment question about significant figures, unit conversions, and rounding...)

[Stephan]

42.2 is a lot more than 26.2.

What's a mile anyways? The only place it makes sense is in Sammy Hagars song I cant drive 55....because it would sound weird if it was "I can't drive 88.51392!!"

[Dr. S]

My tattoo is 42.2 and a running autumn maple leaf. There is a picture on here somewhere.

I'm Canadian, metric is the system we use, in fact, it is what the rest of the world uses, besides the US, so I'm good with that.

I wear shorts a lot (it is on a calf). Not many people ask about it though. But runners get it right away and make a comment.

Good luck with the ink.

There you go!



But I still prefer 26.2 (and a fleur de lys )!!!

[La]

My tattoo is 42.2 and a running autumn maple leaf. There is a picture on here somewhere.

I'm Canadian, metric is the system we use, in fact, it is what the rest of the world uses, besides the US, so I'm good with that.

I wear shorts a lot (it is on a calf). Not many people ask about it though. But runners get it right away and make a comment.

Good luck with the ink.

There you go!



But I still prefer 26.2 (and a fleur de lys )!!!

If you're going to use the fleur de lys, then you really should use metric (and use "virgule 2" as opposed to "point 2"): 42,2km

[Jwolf]

This is why I would chose 26.2. I think accuracy is inportant .

It's not really accuracy-- it's precision (essentially where you round the decimal place).

And as ian said, 26.2 miles is actually less precise than 42.2K.

[Jwolf]

Definitely 26.2

If you say to anyone of my age "26.2 miles" they know that means a marathon, 42.2 kilometers doesn't mean anything.

Really? You're younger than I am, but anyone I talk to uses kilometres unless they are gym treadmill runners.

[turd ferguson]

Definitely 26.2

If you say to anyone of my age "26.2 miles" they know that means a marathon, 42.2 kilometers doesn't mean anything.

Really? You're younger than I am, but anyone I talk to uses kilometres unless they are gym treadmill runners.

I dunno. My earliest education was in gallons feet, yards, miles until the great metric conversion of the mid-70s, and I guess it just stuck in my head.

In any event, I'm not sure when this turned into a Tattoo thread, but if the question is whether a marathon tattoo should be 26.2 or 42.2, I'm even more strongly in favour of 26.2.

[purdy65]

Mike

I agree. I grew up in the 70s and a big part of our grade 5 math program was metric conversion. It is for this reason that many my age are able to talk in either type of measurement.

For the tat? 42.2 for sure.

Lisa

[BJH]

The metric conversion happened while I was in primary school, too, but I only vaguely recall the instruction in imperial measurements.

I struggle with miles when driving, but what I've found when running is that my brain thinks 1 unit is 1 unit, so mentally a 20 mile run is a heck of a lot shorter than a 32 kilometre run.

For the same reason, I prefer swimming laps in 50m pools over 25m pools.

In terms of the tatoo? I'm not a tat person so it's a non issue. I know what they both mean when I see a tat, though.

[Nature Girl]

This is why I would chose 26.2. I think accuracy is inportant .

It's not really accuracy-- it's precision (essentially where you round the decimal place).

okay, okay, I get the point. But I still vote for 26.2. So there.

(I can believe I let a typo go through when talking about accuracy )

But now I just thought... This will be your first marathon? What about going with whatever that race is calling it.

[fe.RMT]

This is why I would chose 26.2. I think accuracy is inportant .

It's not really accuracy-- it's precision (essentially where you round the decimal place).

okay, okay, I get the point. But I still vote for 26.2. So there.

(I can believe I let a typo go through when talking about accuracy )

But now I just thought... This will be your first marathon? What about going with whatever that race is calling it.

Or find an interesting way to incorporate both

[toobusy]

In any event, I'm not sure when this turned into a Tattoo thread, but if the question is whether a marathon tattoo should be 26.2 or 42.2, I'm even more strongly in favour of 26.2.

I changed the title when I 'fessed up my reason for asking. I will be running the Ottawa Marathon in May and it will be my first. I have been wondering which number screams Marathon to people when they see it. I do my training in miles, which makes the kms go really well in a race.

[La]

In any event, I'm not sure when this turned into a Tattoo thread, but if the question is whether a marathon tattoo should be 26.2 or 42.2, I'm even more strongly in favour of 26.2.

I changed the title when I 'fessed up my reason for asking. I will be running the Ottawa Marathon in May and it will be my first. I have been wondering which number screams Marathon to people when they see it. I do my training in miles, which makes the kms go really well in a race.

Since tattoos are very personal things, you should go with whichever number is more meaningful to you.

[waynerdog]

My tat is a runner breaking the tape (orange tape!) with 42.2 on one side and 26.2 on the other side. I've done as many marathons in the U.S. as I have in Canada, and I know mile markings are used in many races even outside the U.S., so I wanted both numbers in my tat.