How Many Miles Is a Marathon?
26.2 miles
A marathon is a very, very long running race. It is 26.2 miles long. That is the short answer!
Here is the same race in kilometres. It is 42.195 kilometres. Both numbers mean the same race. One uses miles. One uses kilometres.
A marathon is a long-distance running race. Its official length is 26.2 miles.
More exactly, it is 26 miles and 385 yards. Measured in kilometres, the same distance is 42.195 kilometres.
Where the Name Comes From
The story people tellThe word marathon comes from a place in Greece. The place is called Marathon.
Here is the story people tell. It is a legend, so it may not be fully true. The story says a Greek messenger ran from Marathon to Athens. He ran to bring news of a victory. That long run is how the race got its name.
The race takes its name from Marathon, a place in Greece.
According to a famous legend — a story passed down over many years, not a proven fact — a Greek messenger ran from Marathon to Athens carrying news of a victory. The race was named to remember that legendary run.
The First Olympic Marathons
The first modern Olympic marathon was in Athens in 1896. Athens is in Greece. That race was about 40 kilometres long. That is shorter than a marathon today.
Back then, Olympic marathons were not all the same. Some were about 40 kilometres. Some were about 42 kilometres.
The first modern Olympic marathon took place in Athens in 1896. It measured about 40 kilometres — shorter than today's race.
In those early years, Olympic marathons did not share one fixed length. Courses ranged from about 40 to 42 kilometres, so the distance changed from Games to Games.
Why Such an Odd Number?
Why 26 miles and 385 yards? That is a funny, odd number. Here is how it happened.
In 1908, the Olympics were in London. The race started at Windsor Castle. It ended at the White City Stadium. The runners finished in front of the Royal Box, a special place to sit and watch. That course measured exactly 26 miles and 385 yards. That is where the odd number comes from.
Twenty-six miles and 385 yards is an oddly exact distance. It comes from one particular course.
At the London Olympics of 1908, the course ran from Windsor Castle to the White City Stadium, and the runners finished in front of the Royal Box. That course measured exactly 26 miles and 385 yards — 42.195 kilometres. That measurement is where the odd number comes from.
One Distance for Everyone
In 1921, a group called the IAAF made 42.195 kilometres the official marathon distance. Official means everyone uses it. The IAAF is now called World Athletics.
The Olympic Games started using this distance in 1924, at the Games in Paris. Today, every marathon in the world uses the same distance. Run a marathon anywhere, and it is 26.2 miles.
In 1921, the IAAF — the group that ran world athletics then, and is now called World Athletics — made 42.195 kilometres the official marathon distance for everyone.
The Olympics first used that distance at the Paris Games of 1924. Today, every marathon in the world uses that same distance, so a marathon means the same race no matter where it is run.
A Very Long Run
A marathon is a very long run. It is a race for grown-up runners. Kids can have fun at shorter fun runs. And anyone can cheer at the finish line!
A marathon is a very long race, and it is run by grown-up runners. Kids can enjoy shorter fun runs instead — and cheering at a marathon finish line is fun for everyone.
Words to Know
A very long running race. It is 26.2 miles long.
A long-distance running race of 42.195 kilometres (26.2 miles), named after Marathon in Greece.
A way to measure distance. A marathon is 42.195 kilometres.
A unit used to measure distance. The marathon distance is given as 42.195 kilometres.
A way to measure distance. A marathon is about 26.2 miles.
A unit used to measure distance. A marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards — about 26.2 miles.
An old story that people tell. It may not be fully true.
A story handed down from long ago. It is told as if it happened, but it cannot be proven.
Decided by the group in charge. Everyone follows it.
Set by the people in charge of a sport, so everyone uses the same rule.
A big place with many seats. People sit there to watch sports.
A large sports ground with seats for crowds. The 1908 marathon finished inside the White City Stadium.
Facts on this page come from World Athletics and The Olympic Museum.