Marathon Running: 5 Things You Didn’t Know
Marathon running is rapidly growing in popularity as a pastime and way to remain healthy. The amount of training it takes to be able to run the 26.2 mile race is almost as large as the pride and thrill that comes with finishing it.
But as popular as the Marathon has become, there is still a lot of information about the race that most non-runners – and maybe some runners, too – aren’t familiar with. These quick facts will tell you everything you need to know about Marathons.
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Why are they called Marathons?
Marathons are named after the mythical run of Pheidippides – an ancient Greek foot messenger who ran to deliver news to Athens from the battle of Marathon.
When was the first marathon run?
The marathon was one of the original events of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The distance was not standardized until 1921.
Why is a Marathon 26.2 miles?
The first marathons were not a standard length, and merely relied upon the fact that every contestant ran the same distance. Before standardization, the average length of a marathon was somewhere around 40 kilometers, or 25 miles.
The distance of 42.195 kilometers – 26 miles 365 yards – was set by the International Amateur Athletic Federation in 1921, and is still used today. This distance is almost identical to the distance Pheidippides would have run during his mythical race.
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How many Marathons are run every year?
Every year, there are more than 800 organized marathons all over the world.
The five most prestigious races in the world make up the World Marathon Majors, which are run every two years and award $500,000 annually to the best overall male and female performers in the series.
The five cities of the world Marathon Majors are:
- Boston
- New York
- Chicago
- London
- Berlin
What was the fastest marathon times?
The fastest marathon time by a man was 2h 3:09, run by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia in Berlin on December 28, 2008.
The fastest marathon run by a woman was 2h 15:25, run by Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain in London on April 13, 2003.
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