How long is the marathon – and why?

Today we have the London marathon and one must admire anyone who attempts it. But just how long is it and why is it that length?
The name, “marathon”, comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, who was sent from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been miraculously defeated in the Battle of Marathon. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping, but moments after proclaiming his message to the city he collapsed dead from exhaustion.
There are two roads out of the battlefield of Marathon towards Athens, one more mountainous towards the north whose distance is about 21.4 miles (34.5 km), and another flatter but longer towards the south with a distance of 25.4 miles (40.8 km). It has been successfully argued that the ancient runner took the more difficult northern road because at the time of the battle there were still Persian soldiers in the south of the plain.
In modern times, the choice of distance for different so-called marathon races was somewhat arbitrary. The first modern Olympics in 1896 had a marathon distance of 24.85 miles (40 km). Before the 1908 Olympics, the official marathon distance was exactly 26 miles.
However, since 1908 the well known 26 mile marathon has actually been 26 miles, 385 yards. This is because, for the 1908 Olympics in London, it was decided that the royal family needed a better view of the finish line. The race started at Windsor Castle and organisers added an extra 385 yards to the race so the finish line would be in front of the royal box.
From that point, the marathon distance became 26 miles, 385 yards (41.195 km). The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) adopted the distance as the “official” marathon distance in 1921.
However you look at it, it’s a LONG way – especially in today’s heat.


2 Comments

  • Nick

    Browsing wikipedia, I was amused to read of the marathon at the 1904 Olympics:
    “The first to arrive was Frederick Lorz, who actually was just trotting back to the finish line to retrieve his clothes, after dropping out after nine miles. When the officials thought he had won the race, Lorz played along until he was found out shortly after the medal ceremony. Banned for life by the AAU for this stunt, Lorz was reinstated a year later and won the 1905 Boston Marathon.”
    1904 Summer Olympics: Highlights

  • David Lee

    The official marathon distance, in metric notation, is 42.195km, not 41.195km. As a frequent marathon runner I would prefer the former, but alas, it is not to be. I read a quote of a prominent runner once that wished Phidippides died 20 miles into his run rather than what he actually managed. I don’t recall who this was but I certainly share his sentiment!
    David Lee
    Brown Mountain Running Club
    Morganton, NC