Why is a marathon 26.2 miles long?

Running 26 miles is already a big ask. Then someone tacks on an extra 0.2, just to be cruel. Marathon runners have long cursed that final stretch, and many assume it must honour some sacred ancient measurement. The real reason is far more British: it was about where the royals were sitting.

The short answer

The odd distance comes from the 1908 London Olympics. Their marathon started at Windsor Castle and finished in front of the royal box in the Olympic stadium, a total of 26 miles 385 yards, or 42.195 km. In 1921, athletics’ governing body adopted it as the official marathon distance.

The real story

The race was inspired by Greek legend. A messenger is said to have run from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens around 490 BC to announce victory over the Persians. When the modern Olympics began in Athens in 1896, organisers recreated the run over about 40 km, roughly 24.85 miles.

For the next few Games there was no fixed length. Marathons came in at various distances, usually somewhere around 24 to 26 miles, depending on the course.

London 1908 changed that. The race was initially planned at about 25 miles. It ended up beginning on the grounds of Windsor Castle and ending beneath the royal box at the stadium. The popular explanation is that the start was placed so royal children could watch from the castle nursery, and the finish extended so it happened in front of Queen Alexandra. Athletics officials still repeat a version of this. However, the royal-request story is disputed: historian Bob Wilcox has called it a myth, saying he found no supporting evidence in the royal archives.

Whatever the reason, the race was unforgettable. Italian runner Dorando Pietri entered the stadium first but collapsed several times and was helped over the line by officials. He was disqualified after an American protest, and Johnny Hayes of the United States took gold. Queen Alexandra later gave Pietri a special cup. The drama made the 1908 race famous, and its distance became the benchmark, made official in 1921.

Interestingly, one of the people writing about Pietri’s collapse was the journalist and author Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. His dramatic account helped cement the idea of the marathon as a brutal test that breaks even the strongest runners.

Why people get it wrong

The word marathon points straight back to Greece, so it seems obvious that the distance must too. But the ancient route is only about 25 miles, and the legend itself is a tangle of later storytelling. The ancient Greeks never set the number. A 1908 course map in London did.

“So that last 0.2 of a mile exists because of where some royals were sitting. Mate, I’ve been under a lot of seats in my time, and none of them ever made anyone run further.”