At the origin there is a legend. That of the Greek messenger Phidippidès — or Philippidès in some versions — who allegedly ran from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greeks’ victory over the Persians. The modern marathon, born from this famous scene, was imagined for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, in 1896, drawing on that ancient imagination. At the time, the distance wasn’t yet fixed: it hovered around 40 km, and it varied from edition to edition.
The real turning point comes at the London Olympics of 1908. The organizers laid out a course that ran from Windsor Castle to the royal box at the White City Stadium. The result: the race measured 42 km and 195 m, or 26 miles and 385 yards. Yes, the mythical marathon distance owes much to a route designed to connect a castle with a royal viewing box.
This distance was not yet a universal rule, but the London marathon left a lasting impression, chiefly for its dramatic finish that became legendary in Olympic history: the Italian Dorando Pietri was first to enter the stadium, but he was utterly exhausted, wandered off course, and collapsed repeatedly in the final meters. Officials helped him to his feet, and he crossed the line first—only to be disqualified for receiving outside assistance. The official victory therefore went to the American Johnny Hayes.
Gradually, this format took hold, eventually becoming the standard adopted for the Olympic Games starting in 1924. Even today, World Athletics defines the marathon as 42.195 km. This distance is thus the product of a stroke of luck that has become tradition.
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