What is a Marathon?
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195
kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards).
It is usually run as a road race.
The event began to commemorate the fabled run of the Greek soldier
Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.
The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the
distance did not become standardized until 1921.
More than 500 marathons are held throughout the world each year, with the vast
majority of competitors being amateur athletes, as larger marathons can have tens
of thousands of participants.
The Battle of Marathon
The name ‘Marathon’ comes from the legend of Pheidippides, an Ancient Greek
messenger who was sent from the battlefield of Marathon to the City of Athens to
announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.
It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping, and burst into the
assembly, exclaiming, "we have wοn!” before collapsing and dying.
There are two roads out of the battlefield of Marathon towards Athens; one is
mountainous and has a distance of about 21.4 miles, and the other is flatter but
longer, with a distance of 25.4 miles. It has been argued that the ancient runner
took the more difficult road to avoid being captured by any remaining Persian
soldiers.
The Story of London Marathon
1979 1981 1994 2002
Olympic gold The first London The chequered Aged 90,
medalist, Marathon took place with flag was moved to Jenny Wood-
Chris Brasher 6,625 runners completing the Mall, where it Allen was the
ran the New the course. The remains. oldest woman
York American, Dick to complete a
marathon and Beardsley, and marathon,
wanted to Norwegian, Inge finishing the
begin a Simonsen, both won the course in 11hr
similar race men’s event, holding 34min.
in Britain. hands as they crossed the
finish line in a dead heat.
The Story of London Marathon
2003 2005 2015 2015
Paula Radcliffe broke The course was A record 37,675 The hottest
the women's world altered slightly people finished temperatures
record in 2:15:25. Her at 22 miles to the race. for race day
time remains avoid the were recorded
unbeaten. cobbled area with runners
near the Tower competing in
of London, and 24°C heat.
the route around
the Isle of Dogs
changed from
clockwise to
anti-clockwise.
Fantastic Facts
The course records currently stand at:
Men's: Women's:
2:02:37 (2019) 2:15:25 (2003)
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) Paula Radcliffe (UK)
Men’s Wheelchair: Women’s Wheelchair:
1:28:57 (2009) 1:39:57 (2017) Manuele Schär
Kurt Fearnley (Australia) (Switzerland)
Fantastic Facts
The London Marathon is said to be the biggest charity fundraising event in the
world.
In 2002, Lloyd Scott completed the marathon wearing a deep-sea diving suit that
weighed a total of 50 kg, with each shoe weighing 11 kg, setting a record for the
slowest London Marathon time!
On 19 April 2003, former boxer Michael Watson, who had been told he would
never be able to walk again, finished the marathon in six days.
Virgin money have sponsored the London Marathon since 2010. Other sponsors
have included: Gillette, (1981 to 1983), Mars (1984–1988), ADT (1989–1992),
NutraSweet (1993–1995) and Flora (1996–2009).
Why Do People Run in the London Marathon?
I’m running in an
elephant suit because I am running this year’s London
one elephant is killed Marathon for my little girl,
every 15 minutes by diagnosed at birth with Cystic
ivory poachers so I’m Fibrosis. She is brave every
raising funds for their single day. I just have to get
protection. through one day of pain!
I’ve made a promise to
myself that I was going
to run all six Major
World marathons in the
next two and half years.
Why Do People Run in the London Marathon?
I would love to join the
London Marathon elite
legends by winning a
third title and complete
It’s the ultimate personal the race in under 2 hours.
goal; I’ve been training
hard for many months to
complete the race in under
3 hours.
Who Runs in the London Marathon?
Elite Runners: Wheelchair Racers:
The world's best athletes descend on London each year to In 1983, the first wheelchair races
challenge their personal and world records. The 2015 men's took place, organized by the British
elite field was dubbed the "clash of the champions" by race Sports Association. 19 people
organizers due to an unusually large number of top competed and 17 finished. The most
competitors. Eight men in the field had recorded a sub-2:05 recent win by a British athlete was in
hour race in their career - the three fastest marathoners the 2018 London Marathon, by David
ever. Weir in the Men's Wheelchair Race. It
was his eighth win in London.
Ever Presents:
A small number of runners who have completed each of the
London Marathons since 1981. After 2014 their number Amateur Runners:
has shrunk to 14. In 2015, the oldest runner was 80 years The race attracts amateur runners
old, whilst the youngest runner was 55-years old. (including many celebrities) who
make up most of the participants.
Members of the public, many of
whom raise thousands of pounds for
charity, often take part in traditional
fancy dress.
The London Marathon
Men’s Elite Runners 2015
Wheelchair Race 2013
Photo courtesy of (EEPaul, A [email protected]) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
Runners in Fancy Dress!
Photo courtesy of (EEPaul, Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music [email protected]) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
Marathons Around the World
Berlin Marathon: Comrades
The Berlin Marathon is one of
Marathon:
the largest and most popular
This is a rite of passage
road races in the world. First
for many South
initiated in 1974, the event takes
African – and
place in September.
international – runners.
It is the world’s oldest
ultra-marathon,
New York City Marathon: stretching over 56 Tokyo
It is one of the highest profile races in the miles in the KwaZulu-
Marathon:
world. It began in 1970 with just 127 runners Natal Province of
The Tokyo
who each paid a $1 entry fee. Today, entry is South Africa.
Marathon is an
by lottery, with over 100,000 applicants each annual marathon
year. sporting event in
Tokyo, the
Antarctic Ice Marathon: capital of Japan.
Battling snow and ice, with a wind-chill factor of -
20C, it is not for the faint-hearted.
Marathons Around the World
Chicago Marathon:
It is among the fastest growing
marathon road races in the world, City to Surf Marathon:
due to its fast and flat course. This is one of the most
popular runs in the world,
now with about 80,000
participants each year. The
Boston Marathon: 14km (eight mile) route
The Boston Marathon is the world's starts in the centre of
oldest annual city marathon and one Sydney, goes through the
of the most prestigious to compete Great Ethiopian suburbs and finishes on
in. Bondi Beach.
Run:
This is one of the
world's great city
events through the
streets of Addis
Ababa.
Who Runs in the London Marathon?
Land Rover 7x7x7 Challenge Marathon des Sables
Sir Ranulph Fiennes, world celebrated explorer, and his The race is a gruelling multi-stage
long-term expedition companion, Dr. Mike Stroud, adventure through a formidable
completed an epic around-the-world trip, completing seven landscape in one of the world’s
marathons on seven continents in seven days. The most inhospitable climates - the
Challenge covered marathons in: The Antarctic, Santiago, Sahara desert. The rules require
Sydney, Singapore , London, Cairo and New York City. you to be self-sufficient, carrying
with you on your back everything
that you need to survive, except
water . You are given a place in a
Dragon’s Back Race tent to sleep at night, but any
This legendary race follows the mountainous spine of other equipment and food must be
Wales from Conwy Castle to Carreg Cennen Castle. The 5- carried.
day journey is approximately 300 km long with 16,000 m
of ascent across wild, trackless, remote and mountainous
terrain. The original Dragon’s Back Race took place in
1992 and its reputation had reached legendary status with
runners the world over by 2012, when the second Dragon’s
Back Race was held. The Dragon’s Back Race is one of the
hardest mountain races in the world.
