16 January 2024 , 13:23
915
0
An estimated 1.3million people run a marathon in the world every year - but many have no idea how it got its length. The modern marathon is 26.2 miles long - or 42.195km - with 3.34 hours considered to be a "good marathon time" for men and 4.08 for women.
However, the concept of running a marathon dates back to ancient times, when a Greek messenger raced from Marathon to Athens, a distance of around 25 miles (40km), with important news about the Greek victory over an invading army of Persians in 490B.C.
But tragically after making his announcement, the messenger collapsed and died. But confused as to why the marathon is 26.2 miles rather than 25 miles, one Reddit user said: "26.2 miles is such a random goal." A statement on History reads: "To commemorate his dramatic run, the distance of the 1896 Olympic marathon was set at 40 kilometers.
The first organized marathon was run in Athens at the 1896 Olympics, the start of the Games’ modern era. The ancient games, which took place in Greece from around 776B.C. to A.D.393, never included such long-distance races.
"For the next few Olympics, the length of the marathon remained close to 25 miles. But at the 1908 Games in London, the course was extended, allegedly to accommodate the British royal family. Reportedly, Queen Alexandra requested that the race start on the lawn of Windsor Castle (so the littlest royals could watch from the window of their nursery, according to some accounts) and finish in front of the royal box at the Olympic stadium—a distance that happened to be 26.2 miles (26 miles and 385 yards).
Kate Middleton swears by £19.99 rosehip oil that helps 'reduce wrinkles & scars'
"The random boost in mileage ended up sticking, and in 1921 the length of a marathon was formally standardized at 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers)." Commenting on this revelation, one Reddit user said: "And as someone who has run nearly 40 marathons, I can say with authority; those last 0.2 miles feel as long as the previous 1-2 miles."
Another user added: "Wait until you get talking to a non-runner who refers to a marathon as 26 miles. The words won’t even be out of their mouth before I say “Point two! It’s 26.2!” Because there is no pain like the last 0.2." A third user said: "Today I learned the distance between Marathon and Athens is roughly the same as the distance of the first Olympic marathon."