In a marathon, at kilometer 30, there is a phenomenon called "the wall." At this wall, the body, which stores enough sugars to keep going for about 30 kilometers, stops moving. Runners who have completed more than a few marathons, at certain times in their career, experience this wall. Paula Radcliffe, who holds the world record for the fastest marathon run by a woman, hit the wall in the 2004 Olympics. She faded, and then stopped, slumping down on the pavement next to the spectators, crying. Hitting that wall is not a pretty sight.
