The question ‘who invented marathons’ is a slightly misleading one. Because technically, no one did invent the marathon. Its creation was a coincidence, both in distance and in name. The essence of it is this. In Greece, there’s a town called Marathon, which just so happens to be located around 40km northeast of Athens. The two elements were already there- all that was needed was for someone to run it.
How did the marathon first come about?
The history of the marathon dates back to 490 BC, and the legend of the Greek messenger Pheidippides. The Battle of Marathon was being fought between the Greeks and the Persians. In a rush to announce the Athenian victory, Pheidippides ran all the way from the battlefield in Marathon back to the city of Athens. Shortly after covering the 40km distance, Pheidippides collapsed and died, but not before sharing the good news.
(That good news was the word ‘Nike’ which means ‘victory’ in Ancient Greek. And yes, that is the term from which the well-known brand was conceived).
The historical accuracy of this legend is disputed, but the facts remain clear:
- The marathon got its name from the Greek town of Marathon itself
- The marathon’s original distance of 40km was intended to reflect the length of the journey from Marathon to Athens
When was the first marathon race?
The first official marathon race was held in 1896, some 2400 years after the distance originated. Contrary to popular belief, its debut wasn’t at the inaugural Athens Olympic Games. Instead it took place a month prior, in the form of a selection race for the Greek team.
The idea to introduce the marathon to the modern Olympic Games came from a French linguist named Michel Bréal. He was good friends with Pierre de Coubertin, the man who instigated the revival of the Olympic Games. Michel Bréal wrote several letters encouraging Coubertin to include the marathon as an official event in 1896. Given the inaugural Games were to be held in Athens, the inclusion of the marathon was intended as an ode to Greek history. But the sheer popularity of the race turned it into a staple event.
With the marathon legend dating back to 490 BC, it’s often wondered what exactly triggered the idea for Michel Bréal thousands of years later in 1896. As far as records show, no one had run the distance since. While the exact reason will remain unknown, the timing of Robert Browning’s poem ‘Pheidippides’, written on the subject of the Greek marathon legend, doesn’t seem coincidental. Published just 17 years prior to the first modern Olympic Games, Robert Browning’s work was widely popular. This is something Michel Bréal likely drew inspiration from.
In keeping with the legend, the Olympic marathon course ran from the town of Marathon to its finish in Athens’ Panathenaic Stadium, a distance of around 40 kilometres.
Why are marathons 42.195km?
The marathon, according to the legend of Pheidippides itself, originated based on the distance between the town of Marathon and the city of Athens in Greece. A distance of roughly 40 kilometres, or 25 miles. In the spirit of historical accuracy, that was the length of the first marathon race held at the 1896 Athens Olympic Games. But as we know today, 40 kilometres is no longer the standard distance. It is instead 42.195km, and that change was sparked by the 1908 London Olympic Games.
How long was the 1908 London Olympic marathon?
Although the distance of the 1896 marathon was set at 40km, as of that time no official length for marathon races had been established. Distances depended on the courses themselves, and what race organisers deemed appropriate. After all, while it is true that the ‘original marathon’ of 490 BC was 40km long, that distance itself was also decided by the course from Marathon to Athens, and not for any other specific reason. To provide an example of how the length of marathon races varied at the time, when the Boston Marathon was established in 1897 the race was 24.5 miles long, slightly less than 40km, based on the route its founders chose.
This lack of consistency in the measuring of marathons continued until it eventually reached its peak at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. Discussions in the lead up to the event had centred around the typical distance of 25 miles. Although when it came to establishing the actual course, the organisers’ planned route from Windsor Castle to London’s White City stadium measured in around 26 miles. The extra distance was largely as a result of the royal family’s request to have the runners finish in front of their royal box inside the stadium. This required a lap of the track to be run once the runners reached the end point inside the stadium.
Why was the marathon distance fixed at 42.195km?
The fixed distance of 42.195km however came about at the last minute. Organisers had to change where the runners entered the stadium and in order for spectators to get a better view, the full lap of the track was instead cut short at 385 yards. The 1908 London Marathon was therefore a race of 26 miles and 385 yards. Or in metric terms, the 42.195km we talk about today.
But the 1908 Olympic Marathon organisers didn’t have the power to standardise 42.195km as an official distance. Given the length of marathon races at the time were varying so much from course to course it would be a fair question to ask- why was London’s 42.195km the chosen one? Why not 40km to match the marathon’s origin story? Or Boston’s 24.5 miles?
The answer is in the popularity of this particular Olympic race. Its winner Dorando Pietri of Italy was disqualified after receiving help from race umpires for collapsing multiple times as he tried to complete the last 350m, a task which ended up taking him 10 minutes. The media attention received as a result was understandably high, and Pietri’s sheer exhaustion cemented the marathon distance as the ultimate test of endurance.
In 1921, the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) made the decision to standardise the distance of the marathon. And London 1908 was clearly top of mind. Because it was that race model they chose to follow, mandating a set distance of 42.195km for all international marathon races. Its writing in kilometres was deliberate. The marathon’s mile equivalent at no point was recognised by the IAAF and all courses must be marked using the metric system.
When were women first allowed to run marathons?
It took almost 100 years after the first modern marathon in 1896 for women to be allowed to compete in the event. The ban greatly exceeds that of female participation in athletics itself, which was first allowed at the 1928 Olympic Games. All this time the distance, due to its length, was deemed harmful to female reproductive health. For that reason all marathon races, national and international, were limited to male participants.
But a ban from competition shouldn’t be mistaken for a complete absence from competition. While women were technically banned from running marathons, records show that as early as the 1896 Athens Olympic Marathon, the distance was raced by female competitors. A woman named Stamata Revithi is the first reported runner. She completed the 1896 marathon course a day after the official competition of which she was not allowed to form part.
Since then there have been several other stories of women competing in marathons before the act was officially allowed. Roberta (‘Bobbi’) Gibb in 1966 was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon after disguising herself as a male competitor. None of these results however were recognised or ever made official. Even though in 1967 Katherine Switzer became the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon as a registered competitor, race officials were unaware of her gender when entry was conceded.
When did women start racing the marathon internationally?
It wasn’t until 1972 when women were first given permission to enter and compete in marathons. But this wasn’t a universal lifting of restrictions. The Boston Marathon was the first race to do so, and not every marathon followed suit. In 1972, Nina Kuscsik became the first woman to officially enter and win a marathon in a race with other female competitors.
On an international level, the progress towards gender equality was slower. While individual countries had started allowing women to participate in marathons from 1971, the IAAF didn’t change its stance until 1979. The first female international marathon race took place at the inaugural World Athletics Championships in 1983. A female race was first added to the Olympics in Los Angeles 1984. Grete Waitz of Norway was the first female marathon World Champion and American Joan Benoit Samuelson the first female marathon Olympic Champion.
What are the 7 marathon majors?
The 7 marathon majors are a group of 7 high-profile marathon races that form one global competition series. In founding order, they are:
- Boston- 1897
- New York City- 1970
- Berlin- 1974
- Chicago- 1977
- London- 1981
- Sydney- 2000
- Tokyo- 2007
When the World Marathon Majors start?
The World Marathon Major Series was created in 2006 by the directors of the Boston, New York City, Berlin, London and Chicago Marathons. The aim was to showcase elite marathon running and draw more public attention to the distance. At the time, these 5 were, and still are today, some of the largest and most well-known marathons in the world, so their joint impact was estimated to be huge.
The initial 5-race World Marathon Major Series was founded upon a points-based system. Runners score based on their position in each of the 5 races, with separate categories for elite athletes and amateur age group runners. The series spanned two calendar years. Each competitor’s 4 best rankings over this time period counted towards the final result, although in 2015 this was reduced to their 2 best rankings. Since 2022, the World Marathon Major series spans just one calendar year.
In 2013, the Tokyo Marathon became the 6th World Marathon Major. In 2015, sponsor Abbott added its name to the signature series, hence the commonly heard ‘Abbott World Marathon Majors’. That number was increased to 7 when the Sydney Marathon was elevated to major status starting from 2025.
Will there be more marathon majors?
Yes, there will be more World Marathon Majors. Races are chosen based on their size, international impact, prestige and ability to attract high-level talent. All of which are elements that can be gained and improved on over time.
In order to become a World Marathon Major a race has to undergo an assessment process. For two consecutive years it is required to meet the specific criteria defined by the series itself. These include elite participation, race organisation and global visibility.
Current World Marathon Major candidates are the Cape Town Marathon and the Shanghai Marathon. Both of which are in the final stage. If their 2026 editions pass the assessment, they will become Marathon Majors number 8 and 9 starting from 2027.
Summary- timeline of the history of the marathon
- 490 BC– the origins of the marathon can be traced back to the legend of Pheidippides
- 1896– the first ever marathon race is held in Athens
- 1921– the marathon distance is standardised at 42.195km
- 1979– women are allowed to run marathons in international competition
- 2006– the World Marathon Majors are formed
- 2013– Tokyo becomes the 6th Marathon Major
- 2025– Sydney joins as the 7th Marathon Major
- 2026– The Cape Town Marathon and the Shanghai Marathon reach the final stages of assessment
Written by- Rosana Ercilla
