A Parade of Bodies in Motion!

How many miles in a marathon?  Strictly speaking, a marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards). The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens. The historical accuracy of this legend is in doubt, contradicted by accounts given by Herodotus (an ancient Greek philosopher and writer), in particular. 

The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921.  More than 800 marathons are contested throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes. The larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.

The winner of the first Olympic Marathon in 1896 (a male-only race) wasSpiridon “Spiros” Louis, a Greek water-carrier.  That seems sort of fitting, doesn’t it? He won at the Olympics in 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds.

The women’s marathon was introduced at the1984 Summer Games (in Los Angeles, USA) and was first won by Joan Benoit of the United States with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 52 seconds.

So back to our question.  Originally, the length of an Olympic Marathon was set at 24.85 miles.  Then it bounced to a little over 25 miles.  Olympic marathon routes being what they were (rustic tours on very fast feet) they went back and forth between 24 and 26 miles before finally settling at the current length of 26 miles, 385 yards.

Since the modern games were founded, it has become a tradition for the men’s Olympic marathon to be the last event with a finish inside the Olympic stadium, often within hours of, or even incorporated into, the closing ceremonies. The marathon of the 2004 Summer Olympics revived the traditional route from Marathon to Athens ending at Panathinaiko Stadium, which was the venue of the 1896 Summer Olympics.  A lot of tradition and symbolism went into the planning there. 

Annually, more than 800 marathons are organized worldwide.  Among the most famous of modern contests are the Boston, New York, Chicago and London Marathons, as well as the United States Marine Corps marathon which is pictured above. 

And by the way, the current female world record holder for this event is Paula Radcliffe, who runs her 26+ miles in 2 hours 15 minutes and 25 seconds.