Five fun long-distance running facts
Running a marathon is a highly respected sporting achievement. It demands lots of training and willpower, and that's all before you've even crossed the start line! But apart from all the hard work that goes into it, what else do we know about this long-distance running race?
1. How long is a marathon in miles and kilometres?
A marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards in length, or 26.218 miles. In kilometres it measures 42.195km.
The length of the race actually has a lot to do with the British Royal Family and their own convenience! When the Olympic Games was held in London in 1908, they requested that the marathon started at Windsor Castle and ended at the Olympic Stadium’s Royal box.
That came to 26.2 miles - the longest marathon since the modern games began.
2. What is an ultramarathon?
Anything longer than a traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles is called an ultramarathon. This might include gruelling events where people cover distances of 50km, 50 miles, 100km and 100 miles!
3. The seven major marathons around the world
There are considered to be seven major marathons that take place around the world and you've probably heard of a lot of them!
They are:
- Tokyo marathon – held in March
- Boston marathon – held in April
- London marathon – also held in April
- Sydney marathon – held in August or September
- Berlin marathon – held in September
- Chicago marathon – held in October
- New York City marathon – held in November
4. The original marathon runner
The original marathon runner is said to be a soldier named Pheidippides. A legend from ancient Greece says that after winning the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, Pheidippides ran 26 miles (42km) to Athens with the news of the Greeks’ victory against the Persians
5. What a cheater!
In the marathon at the 1904 Olympic Games in St Louis, Frederick Lorz was the first person to cross the finishing line. But it later emerged that he had cheated, in a big way!
It turned out that Lorz hopped in a car at the nine mile (14km) mark after getting cramp in his legs. The car drove him the next 11 miles (18km) before it broke down and Lorz then continued on foot to the finishing line where he was greeted as the winner.
But he couldn't run from his lie forever. After being confronted by race officials, Lorz first tried to claim he had played a practical joke before finally admitting he had cheated.
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