Marathon
A marathon is a long-distance running sport event where an athlete must run 42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards).[1] There are many marathons held all over the world each year. It is a very difficult event and runners are advised to run many miles before they compete. This event was named after a battle of the Greco-Persian wars.
The famous battle of Marathon was fought in 490 B.C. An army from Persia came to fight the army of Athens. The army from Athens was not expected to win, but they did. After the victory, they sent their best runner, a man named Pheidippides back to Athens to tell everyone the good news. He ran about 25 miles and died of exhaustion when he arrived.
In 1896 the first modern Olympics was held. There was a race called the Marathon there. It was only about 25 miles (40 km) then.[2]
Marathon Media
Competitors during the 2014 Orlen Warsaw Marathon
Aerial view of runners in the Kigali International Peace Marathon in Rwanda, 2019
Participant at the 2016 Boston Marathon
Samuel Wanjiru raises his hand in acknowledgment of the crowd as he runs to a gold medal in the 2008 Olympic marathon
2007 Barcelona Marathon
Start of the 2012 Helsinki City Marathon
A pack of Wheelchair Division participants in the 2009 Boston Marathon
Kevin Counihan (right), of the Achilles Track Club, with his guide, running the 2011 Boston Marathon. He completed his 150th marathon at Boston in April 2014.
Notes
- ↑ "IAAF Competition Rules for Road Races". International Association of Athletics Federations. International Association of Athletics Federations. 2009. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
- ↑ "Marathon World Forum". Archived from the original on 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2011-02-03.