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Marathon Running

For those that are so inclined, there are some great, challenging and unusual running events around the world, held over the marathon distance or similar. For the masochists, I have created a separate list for Ultra Marathons, held over a much longer distance or duration.



List of Interesting Marathons

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Why 26 miles & 385 yds?

The marathon was originally conceived as a race for the 1896 Olympics in Athens, commemorating the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died.

The unusual distance of 42.195 kilometers or 26 miles & 385 yards is a result of the 1908 Olympic Games in London, where the marathon distance was changed to 26 miles to cover the ground from Windsor Castle to White City Stadium, with 385 yards added on so the race could finish in front of royal family's viewing box.



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