Tattoo Ideas for a Marathon Finisher
- Since the movement of running is very specific and can be recognized from afar, you could get a tattoo of the silhouette of someone running. This could also allow you to include some background and make it blend in with another tattoo if you already have one. When choosing a background, include elements specific to the city where you completed your marathon as an additional reminder. For example, if you completed the New York City Marathon, you may wish to have a small image of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline in the background, while those who completed a marathon in Hawaii could instead include palms trees and lei flowers.
If the location was not an important factor to consider for your marathon, you could instead have the shape of the runner crossing the finish line. In this case, the runner could have both arms up in the air when crossing the finish line so that their body can rip the ribbon. You can customize this tattoo by having the runner and the ribbon in contrasting colors to show that the ribbon breaking. - A marathon has a specific distance of 26 miles and 385 yards in commemoration of the legend of the Greek soldier, Pheidippides, a messenger who ran this distance from the Battle of Marathon to Athens. The distance was standardized to 26.2 miles in the 1924 summer Olympics in London. A tattoo of 26.2 is a simple way to represent the challenging distance of the race. The number can be tattooed on its own, in a stylized font, framed or hidden inside an existing tattoo.
- Runners take a long time deciding which shoes they will be wearing for their training and in a race as it can have a huge impact on their performance. A tattoo of a running shoe could be a good way to symbolize the completion of a race. You can customize it by making it look as much or as little like your own shoes as you like. You can simply show the shape of the shoe or be detailed.
For a creative touch you could add wings to the shoe you chose, which will make it appear as if your shoes are about to fly away. Runners and other athletes recognize this symbol as a synonymous of track and cross-country sports. - Getting a tattoo that indicates your finishing time is also a great way to remember your marathon. This is more personalized, as it will be unique to you. If you plan to do more marathons in the future, you may want to plan to have your tattoo in a place on your body where there will be space for you to keep adding other results as you complete more races. The back, the thighs or the arms would work well for this type of tattoo.
