[visible|debut="01/05/2026 0h"]42.195 km, that’s the distance of the marathon, the one the runners of the Paris Marathon will cover for its 50th edition. But why this exact number? Why not 40 km, a tidy 42, or even 45 to round it off? Here’s why.
In the beginning there is a legend. The tale of the Greek messenger Phidippidès — or Philippidès depending on the version — who is said to have run from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over the Persians. The modern marathon, conceived to evoke this famous scene, was imagined for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, in 1896, as a nod to that ancient myth. At that time, the distance was not yet fixed: it hovered around 40 km and varied by edition.
The real turning point arrives at the London Olympic Games in 1908. The organizers lay out a course spanning from Windsor Castle to the royal box at London's stadium. The result: the race measures 42 km and 195 m, i.e., 26 miles and 385 yards. Yes, the mythical marathon distance owes much to a route designed to connect a castle and a royal viewing box.
This distance had not yet become a universal rule, but the London event left a lasting impression, notably for its dramatic finish that has gone down in Olympic history: the Italian Dorando Pietri was the first to enter the stadium, but he was utterly exhausted, misjudged the direction, and collapsed several times in the final meters. Officials helped him to his feet, and he crossed the line first, only to be disqualified precisely because he had received outside assistance. The official victory was therefore awarded 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. That distance is thus the product of a sequence of circumstances that became tradition.
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