What drives people to push themselves to the limit?

Transforming the city into a pulsating hub of festivity, while thousands of people come together through one common struggle and slog themselves around town for obscene distances. Think about how far 42km actually is, that’s slightly farther than the straight-line distance of Luxembourg City centre to Wiltz - and people run that?!

An avid runner myself but over shorter distances, only once having completed an unofficial half-marathon, I was inspired by Russ Cook aka Hardest Geezer - who was running more than a marathon a day as he became the first man to run the entire length of Africa.

It looked like light work, but boy was I in for a shock. The first 15km were relatively doable but having only ever completed 12km prior to this run, everything that came after was pure torture. My knee was in agony, calves were cramping and I felt like somebody was punching me in the chest with every step I took.

Slumping to the floor as my Strava told me I had done the 21km, the thought of doing that all again was quite frightening. So what inspires people to do these enormous runs? We asked marathon runners from Luxembourg their reasons for putting their bodies through its paces…

For David, 27, a running enthusiast who has also completed an Ironman 70.3, running a marathon is all about pushing his limits and achieving a sense of freedom.  "I took on the Paris marathon as a personal challenge", he reflects, recalling the satisfaction of achieving success.

"It proves that hard work pays off." Putting on his running shoes enables him to clear his mind and it has become a big part of his life. "It’s part of my daily routine and I always feel better after having done it. Starting the day with a run sets a positive tone and makes the rest of the day feel easier."

Conversely, for Nicki, the allure of the marathon lies in its capacity to facilitate a balanced lifestyle: "I like eating and drinking, going out to party but I also like to be fit and healthy", she recounts joyfully. It gives her a certain sense of discipline and allows her to pay less attention to what she consumes.

Running "is easy to do, you just need a treadmill or [to] go on the road if the weather permits." It also seems to be a form of relaxation: "I really enjoy listening to books so when I go on long runs I put them on, you can get into nature and just take a break from normal life."

Whereas Shannon, 42, has a sporting background and a passion for field hockey, but was never really too interested in longer distance running before "a work colleague informed me she was doing a 10km race and my initial thought was if you can do that then I can do that."

It was her competitive edge that first introduced her to longer distance running, eventually sparking a newfound love. "From there we signed up and did the half-marathon and the bite to go further was there, I started taking things more seriously with eating plans and followed a regular training program. If you speak to many runners, once you start running with all the adrenaline and endorphins, you get pretty addicted to it."

Addiction could be a word for it, as this is what she was from there on in, as she went on to complete ultra marathons. Being a mother of two children, she also does it for them - as they now run races together and she wants to keep inspiring them.

A quote that she lives by is "the difference between a couch potato and an endurance athlete is putting on a pair of shoes." So from competitive beginnings to now inspiring her kids and just being healthy; this is why Shannon runs marathons.

Eugene, who made his international rugby debut at the age of 50 and weighing 125kg as he plays front row forward, isn’t your typical runner: "Firstly, I see it as a challenge - one that scares me every time before I line up at the start line. But isn’t that the whole point about this journey of life - collecting memories - not things. The mental resilience and resolve you get from running a marathon is a life skill in itself.

"Another massive motivator is that I want to set an example to my sons, as well as the RCL U18 Colts that I have the privilege of coaching, showing that I will never give up and will always try and beat yesterday and go one more."

A very impressive man still running marathons at his age and playing an active role in the rugby community in Luxembourg, Eugene describes the thrill of completing a marathon: "the endorphins you get crossing the finish line with other runners lasts for days, if not weeks. Just don’t drop your keys on the floor in the following 24 hours", he jokes.

Running a marathon is not just a physical achievement; it's also a mental challenge. Runners often cite various motivations for taking on such a gruelling endeavour. For some, it's about testing their limits, pushing beyond what they thought possible and sometimes looking to inspire other people too. Others may run to raise awareness or funds for a charity, while some simply enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with crossing the finish line after months of training.