For most, it is hard to escape the early race jitters. The hype in the mass start. The festival-like atmosphere in the first couple of kilometres.

Then, it is just the pounding. One foot in front of the other. Weaving in and out of fellow competitors. Working your way to drink stations.

But always that pounding taking you closer and closer to your goal – the finishing gate.

Now is a great time to be a runner.

This Sunday is Australia’s biggest marathon, the Melbourne Marathon, with a sold-out half-marathon field of 12,000 runners and strong fields in shorter distances.

On the other side of the world, a few hours later, about 40,000 runners will hit the street of the United States’ Windy City for the Chicago Marathon.

Our city gets its taste of pounding feet next week in Run Ballarat.

The event distances are shorter but the underlying purpose is the same. Finish.

A small portion of all fields is elite, others will be gunning for a personal best or to finish in a specified time period.

They all arrive at the start line from varied pathways – different training regimes, different nutritional and hydration methods, different attitudes, different clothing and footwear, even different opinions on how to best break in new clothing and footwear – but it is all about how to best feel you can get to the finishing gate.

It was less than 50 years ago that one of the world’s most famous marathons, Boston, allowed women to compete in its prestigious event.

In 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon and wear a numbered bib when it was considered a men’s only race (women being too fragile for such a distance and all).

Officials physically attacked her, trying to get her out of the race. She kept pounding along. Switzer’s time was far from the head of the field. But she finished and continued on to rally for women’s right to enter the marathon as an official competitor.

The first Melbourne Marathon, 11 years later, featured 123 women. Last year, 2004 of the 6857 Melbourne Marathon finishers were women, including 18 who broke the three-hour mark.

Women will be out in force in Melbourne on Sunday, particularly in the half-marathon which organisers have confirmed has a higher percentage of  women entered than men.

One of the most impressive parts of fun-run events is the huge range of body types. All shapes, sizes and abilities are out there pounding with you.

In Melbourne, you can sense when the leading marathon runners are looping their way back past you.

There is a Mexican-wave style roar through the field, runners still making their way out, as they draw nearer to pass. Many will slow in awe to clap and cheer them.

The leaders are like smooth, well-oiled machines. They are flying. They motivate you to keep putting one foot in front of the other towards the finishing gate.

Kenyan Dennis Kimetto set a world marathon record of two hours, two minutes and 57 seconds a fortnight ago in the Berlin Marathon.

There were still plenty of entrants crossing the same line after him, completing the same distance, 42.2 kilometres, in their own personal triumph.

Anything can happen on race day, no matter what the distance, but it always comes back to that pounding.

Just keep running.

melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au