Running keeps us healthy and makes us feel good about ourselves. Running is also good for our body and we can lose weight fast. But you most probably knew this already, right? But did you know, that you use 200 muscles by just taking a single step? No!? Then find out these other 20  awesome facts about running:

#1 Paula Radcliffe holds the women’s record with a time of 2:15:25 which she set in the 2003 London Marathon.

#2 Runners’ bodies have the ability to store 2 000 calories worth of glycogen, which is enough to fuel 28km- 32km of running.

#3 For our preggy ladies, or new mommies: Runners breast milk doesn’t taste good. It contains large amounts of lactic acid, making it taste quite sour. If you are breastfeeding, it’s best to breastfeed your child before your run, or use a breast pump and feed your child later.

#4 Who runs the world? – Girls! Yes, because the marathon popularity among women across the world has increased nearly 27 % in the last couple of years. (whereas men, only 8%).

#5 Running can lead to greater bone density, if you run 3x a week, around 12-20 minutes.

#6 Women were excluded from the Boston Marathon until 1972. But that didn’t stop them. In 1966, Roberta Gibbs, hid behind a bush and jumped out to complete the race, to finished ‘unofficially’ with a time of 3:21:25! Roberta Gibbs was the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon.

#7 Running can keep you healthy. But running too much can also make you sick. Those who run more than 80kms per week double their risk of respiratory illness.

#8 Over 1 billion pairs of running shoes are sold world-wide each year.

#9 Our amazing Comrades Marathon is the world’s oldest and biggest ultra-marathon event. It is a 89km distance route that attracts over 20 000 participants from all over the world.

#10 Even if you’re a super-slow jogger, you will burn minimum 10 calories per minute of running.

#11 Drinking water within an hour before a long distance run will likely lead to a bathroom break during your run. If you are joining a competition, you could lose precious minutes just waiting in line for your turn in the loo. Rather drink 100-250ml of water about 5 minutes before you start your run.

#12 The heavier you weigh, the more calories you burn. A 70kg individual could burn as much as 606 calories per hour running at a speed of 8km/hour.

#13 The world average for finisher time is 4:21:21 (including men and women).

#14 It’s never a good idea to eat less and run more. Your body burns more fat during and right after a run. So if you eat less while increasing distance, you could force your body into hibernation. Contrary from what you might think it will conserve, instead of burning calories, thereby ruining your plans of losing weight.

#15 Active people, such as runner, have a 60 percent lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease than couch potatoes.

#16 For our preggy ladies, or new mommies: Runners breast milk doesn’t taste good. It contains large amounts of lactic acid, making it taste quite sour. If you are breastfeeding, it’s best to breastfeed your child before your run, or use a breast pump and feed your child later.

#17 We use 200 muscles just to take a single step.

#18 Running works better at lowering your blood pressure levels than drugs and diet. Studies have shown that running for about 60 minutes, a 3 times a week can lower BP readings by as much as 12 mgs.

#19 Running in cold weather can be safer than running on a hot day. You are likely to become dehydrated when running with the sun over your head.

#20 The 2013 New York Marathon had 50,304 finishers making it the largest marathon ever, based on participants who reached the finish line.