ELI5 Marathons - What happens to the body over 26.2 miles?

Does a marathoner really get an inch shorter during the course of a marathon race? What else happens to the body when you run 26.2 miles? Why is the marathon distance even 26.2 miles in the first place?

 

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Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community, and specifically the following reddit users whose questions and responses formed the basis of this conversation: oakteach, medstudent0302, janguskhan, dyslexiaisagfit & tarpit_carnivore

 

BBC News articles referenced:

What happens to a runner's body? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4259766.stm

The body's marathon effort http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/4326947.stm

 

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