A marathon is a long-distance footrace of 26.2 miles (42.195 km), or any demanding test of endurance. The event commemorates the Greek messenger Pheidippides, who is said to have raced from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce their victory over the Persians in 490 BCE, then collapsed and died.
The word “Marathon” originally referred to the town, whose name likely meant “place of fennel,” from the Greek word marathos, because fennel grew abundantly there. Inspired by this legend, organizers of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 created a race from Marathon to Athens, roughly 25 miles, to echo the ancient run.
The modern 26.2-mile standard was set after the 1908 London Olympics, where the course was extended to accommodate the British Royal Family. The starting line was placed at Windsor Castle and finish in front of the Royal Box at White City Stadium. This distance of 26.2 miles was officially standardized by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) in 1921.
