Marathon - wikipedia Marathon For other uses, see Marathon ( disambiguation ). Competitors during the 2007 Berlin Marathon Competitors during the 2014 Orlen Warsaw Marathon The marathon is a long - distance running race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres ( 26.219 miles, or 26 miles 385 yards ), usually run as a road race. The event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, who reported the victory. The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 800 marathons are held throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes as larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants. Contents 1 History 1.1 Origin 1.2 Modern Olympics marathon 1.3 Marathon mania 1.4 Inclusion of women 2 Distance 2.1 1908 Olympics 2.2 IAAF and world records 3 Marathon races 3.1 Wheelchair division 4 Statistics 4.1 World records and world 's best 4.2 All - time lists 4.2. 1 Notes 4.2. 2 Notes 4.3 Oldest marathoner 4.4 Youngest marathoner 4.5 Participation 4.6 Multiple marathons 5 Olympic medalists 5.1 Men 5.2 Women 6 World Championships medalists 6.1 Men 6.2 Women 7 Running 7.1 Training 7.2 Glycogen and `` the wall '' 7.3 After a marathon 8 Health risks 8.1 Cardiac health 8.2 Hydration 8.3 Body temperature 9 Charity involvement 10 Mars rover marathon 11 See also 12 Notes and references 13 Bibliography 14 External links History Origin Luc - Olivier Merson 's painting depicting the runner announcing the victory at the Battle of Marathon to the people of Athens The name Marathon comes from the legend of Philippides or Pheidippides, the Greek messenger. The legend states that he was sent from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon ( in which he had just fought ), which took place in August or September, 490 BC. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping and burst into the assembly, exclaiming νενικήκαμεν ( nenikēkamen, `` we have won ! '' ), before collapsing and dying. The account of the run from Marathon to Athens first appears in Plutarch 's On the Glory of Athens in the 1st century AD, which quotes from Heraclides Ponticus 's lost work, giving the runner 's name as either Thersipus of Erchius or Eucles. Lucian of Samosata ( 2nd century AD ) also gives the story, but names the runner Philippides ( not Pheidippides ). There is debate about the historical accuracy of this legend. The Greek historian Herodotus, the main source for the Greco - Persian Wars, mentions Philippides as the messenger who ran from Athens to Sparta asking for help, and then ran back, a distance of over 240 kilometres ( 150 mi ) each way. In some Herodotus manuscripts, the name of the runner between Athens and Sparta is given as Philippides. Herodotus makes no mention of a messenger sent from Marathon to Athens, and relates that the main part of the Athenian army, having fought and won the grueling battle, and fearing a naval raid by the Persian fleet against an undefended Athens, marched quickly back from the battle to Athens, arriving the same day. In 1879, Robert Browning wrote the poem Pheidippides. Browning 's poem, his composite story, became part of late 19th century popular culture and was accepted as a historic legend. Mount Pentelicus stands between Marathon and Athens, which means that, if Philippides actually made his famous run after the battle, he had to run around the mountain, either to the north or to the south. The latter and more obvious route matches almost exactly the modern Marathon - Athens highway, which follows the lay of the land southwards from Marathon Bay and along the coast, then takes a gentle but protracted climb westwards towards the eastern approach to Athens, between the foothills of Mounts Hymettus and Penteli, and then gently downhill to Athens proper. This route, as it existed when the Olympics were revived in 1896, was approximately 40 kilometres ( 25 mi ) long, and this was the approximate distance originally used for marathon races. However, there have been suggestions that Philippides might have followed another route : a westward climb along the eastern and northern slopes of Mount Penteli to the pass of Dionysos, and then a straight southward downhill path to Athens. This route is considerably shorter, some 35 kilometres ( 22 mi ), but includes a very steep initial climb of more than 5 kilometres ( 3.1 mi ). Modern Olympics Marathon Main article : Marathons at the Olympics When the modern Olympics began in 1896, the initiators and organizers were looking for a great popularizing event, recalling the glory of ancient Greece. The idea of a marathon race came from Michel Bréal, who wanted the event to feature in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. This idea was heavily supported by Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, as well as by the Greeks. The Greeks staged a selection race for the Olympic marathon on 22 March 1896 ( Gregorian ) that was won by Charilaos Vasilakos in 3 hours and 18 minutes ( with the future winner of the introductory Olympic Games marathon, Spyridon `` Spyros '' Louis, coming in fifth at a second race two weeks later ). The winner of the first Olympic marathon, on 10 April 1896 ( a male - only race ), was Spyridon Louis, a Greek water - carrier, in 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds. The marathon of the 2004 Summer Olympics was run on the traditional route from Marathon to Athens, ending at Panathinaiko Stadium, the venue for the 1896 Summer Olympics. That men 's marathon was won by Italian Stefano Baldini in 2 hours 10 minutes and 55 seconds, a record time for this route until the non-Olympics Athens Classic Marathon of 2014, when Felix Kandie lowered the course record to 2 hours 10 minutes and 37 seconds. Burton Holmes ' photograph entitled `` 1896 : Three athletes in training for the marathon at the Olympic Games in Athens ''. The women 's marathon was introduced at the 1984 Summer Olympics ( Los Angeles, USA ) and was won by Joan Benoit of the United States with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 52 seconds. It has become a tradition for the men 's Olympic marathon to be the last event of the athletics calendar, on the final day of the Olympics. For many years the race finished inside the Olympic stadium ; however, at the 2012 London Olympics, the start and finish were on The Mall, and at the 2016 Rio games, the start and finish were in the Sambódromo, the parade area that serves as a spectator mall for Carnival. Often, the men 's marathon medals are awarded during the closing ceremony ( including the 2004 games, 2012 games and 2016 games ). The Olympic men 's record is 2 : 06 : 32, set at the 2008 Summer Olympics by Samuel Kamau Wanjiru of Kenya ( average speed about 20.01 kilometres per hour or 12.43 miles per hour ). The Olympic women 's record is 2 : 23 : 07, set at the 2012 Summer Olympics by Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia. The men 's London 2012 Summer Olympic marathon winner was Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda ( 2 : 08 : 01 ). Per capita, the Kalenjin ethnic group of Rift Valley Province in Kenya has produced a highly disproportionate share of marathon and track - and - field winners. Marathon mania Johnny Hayes ' victory at the 1908 Summer Olympics contributed to the early growth of long - distance running and marathoning in the United States. Later that year, races around the holiday season including the Empire City Marathon held on New Year 's Day 1909 in Yonkers, New York, marked the early running craze referred to as `` marathon mania ''. Following the 1908 Olympics, the first five amateur marathons in New York City were held on days that held special meanings : Thanksgiving Day, the day after Christmas, New Year 's Day, Washington 's Birthday, and Lincoln 's Birthday. Frank Shorter 's victory in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics would spur national enthusiasm for the sport more intense than that which followed Hayes ' win 64 years earlier. In 2014, an estimated 550,600 runners completed a marathon within the United States. This can be compared to 143,000 in 1980. Today marathons are held all around the world on a nearly weekly basis. Inclusion of women For a long time after the Olympic marathon started, there were no long - distance races, such as the marathon, for women. Although a few women such as Stamata Revithi had run the marathon distance, they were not included in any official results. Marie - Louise Ledru has been credited as the first woman to complete a marathon, in 1918. Violet Piercy has been credited as the first woman to be officially timed in a marathon, in 1926. Arlene Pieper became the first woman to officially finish a marathon in the United States when she completed the Pikes Peak Marathon in Manitou Springs, Colorado, in 1959. Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon `` officially '' ( with a number ). However, Switzer 's entry, which was accepted through an `` oversight '' in the screening process, was in `` flagrant violation of the rules '', and she was treated as an interloper once the error was discovered. Bobbi Gibb had completed the Boston race unofficially the previous year ( 1966 ), and was later recognized by the race organizers as the women 's winner for that year, as well as 1967 and 1968. In 2015 Afghanistan held its first marathon ; among those who ran the entire marathon was one woman, Zainab, age 25, who thus became the first Afghan woman to run in a marathon within her own country. Distance Olympic marathon distances Year Distance ( km ) Distance ( miles ) 1896 40 24.85 1900 40.26 25.02 1904 40 24.85 1906 41.86 26.01 1908 42.195 26.22 1912 40.2 24.98 1920 42.75 26.56 1924 onward 42.195 26.22 The length of an Olympic marathon was not precisely fixed at first, but the marathon races in the first few Olympic Games were about 40 kilometres ( 25 mi ), roughly the distance from Marathon to Athens by the longer, flatter route. The exact length depended on the route established for each venue. 1908 Olympics Main article : Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics -- Men 's marathon The International Olympic Committee agreed in 1907 that the distance for the 1908 London Olympic marathon would be about 25 miles or 40 kilometres. The organisers decided on a course of 26 miles from the start at Windsor Castle to the royal entrance to the White City Stadium, followed by a lap ( 586 yards 2 feet ; 536 m ) of the track, finishing in front of the Royal Box. The course was later altered to use a different entrance to the stadium, followed by a partial lap of 385 yards to the same finish. The modern 42.195 km standard distance for the marathon was set by the International Amateur Athletic Federation ( IAAF ) in May 1921 directly from the length used at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. IAAF and World records Samuel Wanjiru raises his hand in acknowledgment of the crowd as he runs to a gold medal in the 2008 Olympic marathon An official IAAF marathon course is 42.195 km ( 42 m tolerance only in excess ). Course officials add a short course prevention factor of up to one metre per kilometre to their measurements to reduce the risk of a measuring error producing a length below the minimum distance. For events governed by IAAF rules, it is mandatory that the route be marked so that all competitors can see the distance covered in kilometres. The rules make no mention of the use of miles. The IAAF will only recognise world records that are established at events that are run under IAAF rules. For major events, it is customary to publish competitors ' timings at the midway mark and also at 5 km splits ; marathon runners can be credited with world records for lesser distances recognised by the IAAF ( such as 20 km, 30 km and so on ) if such records are established while the runner is running a marathon, and completes the marathon course. Marathon races See also : List of marathon races 2007 Barcelona Marathon Annually, more than 800 marathons are organized worldwide. Some of these belong to the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races ( AIMS ) which has grown since its foundation in 1982 to embrace over 300 member events in 83 countries and territories. The marathons of Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City and Tokyo form the biennial World Marathon Majors series, awarding $500,000 annually to the best overall male and female performers in the series. In 2006, the editors of Runner 's World selected a `` World 's Top 10 Marathons '', in which the Amsterdam, Honolulu, Paris, Rotterdam, and Stockholm marathons were featured along with the five original World Marathon Majors events ( excluding Tokyo ). Other notable large marathons include United States Marine Corps Marathon, Los Angeles, and Rome. The Boston Marathon is the world 's oldest annual marathon, inspired by the success of the 1896 Olympic marathon and held every year since 1897 to celebrate Patriots Day, a holiday marking the beginning of the American Revolution, thereby purposely linking Athenian and American struggle for democracy. The oldest annual marathon in Europe is the Košice Peace Marathon, held since 1924 in Košice, Slovakia. The historic Polytechnic Marathon was discontinued in 1996. The Athens Classic Marathon traces the route of the 1896 Olympic course, starting in Marathon on the eastern coast of Attica, site of the Battle of Marathon of 490 B.C.E., and ending at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. The Midnight Sun Marathon is held in Tromsø, Norway at 70 degrees north. Using unofficial and temporary courses, measured by GPS, races of marathon distance are now held at the North Pole, in Antarctica and over desert terrain. Other unusual marathons include the Great Wall Marathon on The Great Wall of China, the Big Five Marathon among the safari wildlife of South Africa, the Great Tibetan Marathon -- a marathon in an atmosphere of Tibetan Buddhism at an altitude of 3,500 metres ( 11,500 ft ), and the Polar Circle Marathon on the permanent ice cap of Greenland. The Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon is the only marathon where participants run over two continents ( Europe and Asia ) during the course of a single event. In the Detroit Free Press Marathon, participants cross the US / Canada border twice. The Niagara Falls International Marathon includes one international border crossing, via the Peace Bridge from Buffalo, New York, United States to Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. Wheelchair division A pack of Wheelchair Division participants in the 2009 Boston Marathon Many marathons feature a wheelchair division. Typically, those in the wheelchair racing division start their races earlier than their running counterparts. The first wheelchair marathon was in 1974 in Toledo, Ohio, won by Bob Hall in 2 : 54. Hall competed in the 1975 Boston Marathon and finished in 2 : 58, inaugurating the introduction of wheelchair divisions into the Boston Marathon. From 1977 the race was declared the US National Wheelchair championship. The Boston Marathon awards $10,000 to the winning push - rim athlete. Ernst van Dyk has won the Boston Marathon wheelchair division ten times and holds the world record at 1 : 18 : 27, set in Boston in 2004. Jean Driscoll won eight times ( seven consecutively ) and holds the women 's world record at 1 : 34 : 22. The New York City Marathon banned wheelchair entrants in 1977, citing safety concerns, but then voluntarily allowed Bob Hall to compete after the state Division of Human Rights ordered the marathon to show cause. The Division ruled in 1979 that the New York City Marathon and New York Road Runners club had to allow wheelchair athletes to compete, and confirmed this at appeal in 1980, but the State Supreme Court ruled in 1981 that a ban on wheelchair racers was not discriminatory as the marathon was historically a foot race. However, by 1986 14 wheelchair athletes were competing, and an official wheelchair division was added to the marathon in 2000. Some of the quickest people to complete a wheel - chair marathon include Thomas Geierpichler ( Austria ) who won gold in men 's T52 - class marathon ( no lower limb function ) in 1 hr 49 min 7 sec in Beijing China, on September 17, 2008 ; and, Heinz Frei ( Switzerland ) who won the men 's T54 marathon ( for racers with spinal cord injuries ) in a time of 1 hr 20 min and 14 sec in Oita, Japan, October 31, 1999. Statistics See also : Marathon world record progression and Marathon year rankings World records and World 's best World records were not officially recognized by the IAAF until 1 January 2004 ; previously, the best times for the marathon were referred to as the ' world best '. Courses must conform to IAAF standards for a record to be recognized. However, marathon routes still vary greatly in elevation, course, and surface, making exact comparisons impossible. Typically, the fastest times are set over relatively flat courses near sea level, during good weather conditions and with the assistance of pacesetters. The current world record time for men over the distance is 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds, set in the Berlin Marathon by Dennis Kimetto of Kenya on 28 September 2014, an improvement of 26 seconds over the previous record also set in the Berlin Marathon by Wilson Kipsang, also of Kenya on 29 September 2013. The world record for women was set by Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain in the London Marathon on 13 April 2003, in 2 hours 15 minutes and 25 seconds. All - time lists Correct as of October 2017. Men Rank Time Athlete Country Date Place Ref 2 : 02 : 57 Dennis Kipruto Kimetto Kenya 28 September 2014 Berlin 2 : 03 : 03 Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia 25 September 2016 Berlin 2 : 03 : 05 Eliud Kipchoge Kenya 24 April 2016 London 2 : 03 : 13 Emmanuel Mutai Kenya 28 September 2014 Berlin Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich Kenya 25 September 2016 Berlin 6 2 : 03 : 38 Patrick Makau Musyoki Kenya 25 September 2011 Berlin 7 2 : 03 : 46 Guye Adola Ethiopia 24 September 2017 Berlin 8 2 : 03 : 51 Stanley Biwott Kenya 24 April 2016 London 9 2 : 03 : 59 Haile Gebrselassie Ethiopia 28 September 2008 Berlin 10 2 : 04 : 11 Tamirat Tola Ethiopia 20 January 2017 Dubai 11 2 : 04 : 15 Geoffrey Mutai Kenya 9 September 2012 Berlin 12 2 : 04 : 23 Ayele Abshero Ethiopia 27 January 2012 Dubai 13 2 : 04 : 24 Tesfaye Abera Ethiopia 22 January 2016 Dubai 14 2 : 04 : 27 Duncan Kibet Kirong Kenya 5 April 2009 Rotterdam James Kipsang Kwambai Kenya 5 April 2009 Rotterdam 16 2 : 04 : 28 Sammy Kirop Kitwara Kenya 12 October 2014 Chicago 17 2 : 04 : 32 Tsegaye Mekonnen Ethiopia 24 January 2014 Dubai Dickson Kiptolo Chumba Kenya 12 October 2014 Chicago 19 2 : 04 : 33 Lemi Berhanu Ethiopia 22 January 2016 Dubai 20 2 : 04 : 38 Tsegay Kebede Ethiopia 7 October 2012 Chicago 21 2 : 04 : 45 Lelisa Desisa Benti Ethiopia 25 January 2013 Dubai 22 2 : 04 : 48 Yemane Adhane Ethiopia 15 April 2012 Rotterdam Berhanu Shiferaw Ethiopia 25 January 2013 Dubai 24 2 : 04 : 49 Tadesse Tola Ethiopia 25 January 2013 Dubai 25 2 : 04 : 50 Dino Sefer Ethiopia 27 January 2012 Dubai Getu Feleke Ethiopia 15 April 2012 Rotterdam Notes Eliud Kipchoge ( Kenya ) ran a time of 2 : 00 : 25 at the Nike Breaking2 in Monza on 6 May 2017 that was run with the use of fuel and hydration on demand, and in - out pacemakers. Therefore this attempt will not be eligible for official ratification. Geoffrey Mutai ( Kenya ) ran a time of 2 : 03 : 02 at the Boston Marathon on 18 April 2011 that was run on an assisted course ( in the case of Boston, a point - to - point, net downhill course in excess of the standards ) and is therefore ineligible for record purposes per IAAF rule 260.28 Moses Mosop ( Kenya ) ran a time of 2 : 03 : 06 at the Boston Marathon on 18 April 2011 that was run on an assisted course and is therefore ineligible for record purposes per IAAF rule 260.28 Below is a list of all other times equal or superior to 2 : 04 : 11 : Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich also ran 2 : 03 : 23 ( 2013 ), 2 : 03 : 42 ( 2011 ), 2 : 03.58 ( 2017 ). Dennis Kimetto also ran 2 : 03 : 45 ( 2013 ). Emmanuel Mutai also ran 2 : 03 : 52 ( 2013 ). Eliud Kipchoge also ran 2 : 03 : 32 ( 2017 ), 2 : 04 : 00 ( 2015 ), 2 : 04 : 05 ( 2013 ), 2 : 04 : 11 ( 2014 ). Women Rank Time Athlete Country Date Location Ref 2 : 15 : 25 Paula Radcliffe United Kingdom 13 April 2003 London 2 : 17 : 01 Mary Jepkosgei Keitany Kenya 23 April 2017 London 2 : 17 : 56 Tirunesh Dibaba Ethiopia 23 April 2017 London 2 : 18 : 47 Catherine Ndereba Kenya 7 October 2001 Chicago 5 2 : 18 : 58 Tiki Gelana Ethiopia 15 April 2012 Rotterdam 6 2 : 19 : 12 Mizuki Noguchi Japan 25 September 2005 Berlin 7 2 : 19 : 19 Irina Mikitenko Germany 28 September 2008 Berlin 8 2 : 19 : 25 Gladys Cherono Kenya 27 September 2015 Berlin 9 2 : 19 : 31 Aselefech Mergia Ethiopia 27 January 2012 Dubai 10 2 : 19 : 34 Lucy Kabuu Kenya 27 January 2012 Dubai 11 2 : 19 : 36 Deena Kastor United States 23 April 2006 London 12 2 : 19 : 39 Sun Yingjie China 19 October 2003 Beijing 13 2 : 19 : 41 Yoko Shibui Japan 26 September 2003 Berlin Tirfi Tsegaye Beyene Ethiopia 22 January 2016 Dubai 15 2 : 19 : 44 Florence Kiplagat Kenya 25 September 2011 Berlin 16 2 : 19 : 46 Naoko Takahashi Japan 30 September 2001 Berlin 17 2 : 19 : 47 Sarah Chepchirchir Kenya 26 February 2017 Tokyo 18 2 : 19 : 50 Edna Kiplagat Kenya 22 April 2012 London 19 2 : 19 : 51 Zhou Chunxiu China 12 March 2006 Seoul 20 2 : 19 : 52 Mare Dibaba Ethiopia 27 January 2012 Dubai 21 2 : 19 : 57 Rita Sitienei Jeptoo Kenya 13 October 2013 Chicago 22 2 : 20 : 14 Priscah Jeptoo Kenya 22 April 2012 London 23 2 : 20 : 22 Brigid Kosgei Kenya 8 October 2017 Chicago 24 2 : 20 : 27 Feyse Tadese Ethiopia 28 September 2014 Berlin 25 2 : 20 : 30 Bezunesh Bekele Ethiopia 27 January 2012 Dubai Aberu Kebede Ethiopia 30 September 2012 Berlin Notes Liliya Shobukhova ( Russia ) ran a time of 2 : 18 : 20 at the Chicago Marathon on 9 October 2011 that was annulled due to doping offense. Rita Sitienei Jeptoo ( Kenya ) ran a time of 2 : 18 : 57 at the Boston Marathon on 21 April 2014 that was run on an assisted course and is therefore ineligible for record purposes per IAAF rule 260.28. Bizunesh Deba ( Ethiopia ) ran a time of 2 : 19 : 59 at the Boston Marathon on 21 April 2014 that was run on an assisted course and is therefore ineligible for record purposes per IAAF rule 260.28. Wei Yanan ( China ) ran a time of 2 : 20 : 23 at the Beijing Marathon on 20 October 2002 that was annulled due to doping offense. Below is a list of all other times equal or superior to 2 : 20 : 00 : Paula Radcliffe also ran 2 : 17 : 18, 2 : 17 : 42, 2 : 18 : 56 ( 2002 ). Tirunesh Dibaba also ran 2 : 18 : 30 ( 2017 ). Mary Jepkosgei Keitany also ran 2 : 18 : 37 ( 2012 ), 2 : 19 : 19 ( 2011 ). Catherine Ndereba also ran 2 : 19 : 26 ( 2002 ), 2 : 19 : 55 ( 2003 ). Mare Dibaba also ran 2 : 19 : 52 ( 2015 ). Rita Sitienei Jeptoo also ran 2 : 19 : 57 ( 2013 ). Oldest marathoner Fauja Singh, then 100, finished the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, becoming the first centenarian ever to officially complete that distance. Singh, a British citizen, finished the race on 16 October 2011 with a time of 8 : 11 : 05.9, making him the oldest marathoner. Because Singh could not produce a birth certificate from rural 1911 Colonial India, the place of his birth, his age could not be verified and his record was not accepted by the official governing body World Masters Athletics. Gladys Burrill, a 92 - year - old Prospect, Oregon woman and part - time resident of Hawaii, previously held the Guinness World Records title of oldest person to complete a marathon with her 9 hours 53 minutes performance at the 2010 Honolulu Marathon. The records of the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, at that time, however, suggested that Singh was overall the oldest marathoner, completing the 2004 London Marathon at the age of 93 years and 17 days, and that Burrill was the oldest female marathoner, completing the 2010 Honolulu Marathon at the age of 92 years and 19 days. Singh 's age was also reported to be 93 by other sources. In 2015, 92 - yr - old Harriette Thompson of Charlotte, North Carolina, completed the Rock ' n ' Roll San Diego Marathon in 7 hours 24 minutes 36 seconds, thus becoming the oldest woman to complete a marathon. While Gladys Burrill was 92 years and 19 days old when she completed her record - setting marathon, Harriette Thompson was 92 years and 65 days old when she completed hers. Youngest marathoner Budhia Singh, a boy from Odisha, India, completed his first marathon at age three. He trained under the coach Biranchi Das, who saw potential in him. In May 2006, Budhia was temporarily banned from running by the ministers of child welfare, as his life could be at risk. His coach was also arrested for exploiting and cruelty to a child. Budhia is now at a state - run sports academy. Participation In 2016, Running USA estimated that there were approximately 507,600 marathon finishers in the United States, while other sources reported greater than 550,000 finishers. The chart below from Running USA provides the estimated U.S. Marathon Finisher totals going back to 1976. Year Estimated U.S. Marathon Finisher Total 1976 25,000 1980 143,000 224,000 1995 293,000 2000 353,000 386,000 2005 395,000 2006 410,000 2007 412,000 2008 425,000 2009 467,000 507,000 2011 518,000 2012 487,000 ( NYC Marathon cancelled ) 2013 541,000 2014 550,600 ( Record High ) 2015 509,000 2016 507,600 Marathon running has become an obsession in China, with 22 marathon races in 2011 increasing to 400 in 2017. In 2015, 75 Chinese runners participated in the Boston Marathon and this increased to 278 in 2017. Multiple marathons As marathon running has become more popular, some athletes have undertaken challenges involving running a series of marathons. The 100 Marathon Club is intended to provide a focal point for all runners, particularly from the United Kingdom or Ireland, who have completed 100 or more races of marathon distance or longer. At least 10 of these events must be United Kingdom or Ireland Road Marathons. Club chairman Roger Biggs has run more than 700 marathons or ultras. Brian Mills completed his 800th marathon on 17 September 2011. Steve Edwards, a member of the 100 Marathon Club, set the world record for running 500 marathons in the fastest average finish time of 3 hours 15 minutes, at the same time becoming the first man to run 500 marathons with an official time below 3 hours 30 minutes, on 11 November 2012 at Milton Keynes, England. The records took 24 years to achieve. Edwards was 49 at the time. Over 350 individuals have completed a marathon in each state of the United States plus Washington, D.C. and some have done it as many as eight times. Beverly Paquin, a 22 - year - old nurse from Iowa, was the youngest woman to run a marathon in all 50 states in 2010. A few weeks later, still in 2010, Morgan Cummings ( also 22 ) became the youngest woman to complete a marathon in all 50 states and DC. In 2004, Chuck Bryant of Miami, Florida, who lost his right leg below the knee, became the first amputee to finish this circuit. Bryant has completed a total of 59 marathons on his prosthesis. Twenty - seven people have run a marathon on each of the seven continents, and 31 people have run a marathon in each of the Canadian provinces. In 1980, in what was termed the Marathon of Hope, Terry Fox, who had lost a leg to cancer and so ran with one artificial leg, attained 5,373 kilometres ( 3,339 mi ) of his proposed cross-Canada cancer fundraising run, maintaining an average of over 37 kilometres ( 23 mi ), close to the planned marathon distance, for each of 143 consecutive days. 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. On 25 September 2011, Patrick Finney of Grapevine, Texas became the first person with multiple sclerosis to finish a marathon in each state of the United States. In 2004, `` the disease had left him unable to walk. But unwilling to endure a life of infirmity, Finney managed to regain his ability to balance on two feet, to walk -- and eventually to run -- through extensive rehabilitation therapy and new medications. '' In 2003 British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes completed seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. He completed this feat despite suffering from a heart attack and undergoing a double heart bypass operation just four months before. This feat has since been eclipsed by Irish ultramarathon runner Richard Donovan who in 2009 completed seven marathons on seven continents in under 132 hours ( five and a half days ). Starting 1 February 2012 he improved on this by completing the 7 on 7 in under 120 hours or in less than five days. On 30 November 2013, 69 - year - old Larry Macon set a Guinness World Record for Most Marathons Run in a Year by Man by running 238 marathons. Larry Macon celebrated his 1,000 th career marathon at the Cowtown Marathon in Ft. Worth on 24 February 2013. Other goals are to attempt to run marathons on a series of consecutive weekends ( Richard Worley on 159 weekends ), or to run the most marathons during a particular year or the most in a lifetime. A pioneer in running multiple marathons was Sy Mah of Toledo, Ohio, who ran 524 before he died in 1988. As of 30 June 2007, Horst Preisler of Germany had successfully completed 1214 marathons plus 347 ultramarathons, a total of 1561 events at marathon distance or longer. Sigrid Eichner, Christian Hottas and Hans - Joachim Meyer have also all completed over 1000 marathons each. Norm Frank of the United States is credited with 945 marathons. Christian Hottas is meanwhile the first runner who ever completed 2000 marathons. He ran his 2000th at TUI Marathon Hannover on 5 May 2013 together with a group of more than 80 friends from 11 countries, including 8 officers from the 100 Marathons Clubs U.K., North - America, Germany, Denmark, Austria and Italy. Hottas completed his 2500th marathon on 4 December 2016. In 2010, Stefaan Engels, a Belgian, set out to run the marathon distance every day of the year. Because of a foot injury he had to resort to a handbike near the end of January 2010. However, on 5 February he was fully recovered and decided to reset the counter back to zero. By 30 March he broke the existing record of Akinori Kusuda, from Japan, who completed 52 marathons in a row in 2009. On 5 February 2011, Engels had run 365 marathon distances in as many days. Ricardo Abad Martínez, from Spain, later ran 150 marathons in 150 consecutive days in 2009, and subsequently 500 marathons in a row, from October 2010 to February 2012. Some runners compete to run the same marathons for the most consecutive years. For example, Johnny Kelley completed 61 Boston Marathons. Currently, the longest consecutive streak of Boston Marathon finishes -- 45 in a row -- is held by Bennett Beach, of Bethesda, Maryland. Olympic medalists Men Games Gold Silver Bronze 1896 Athens details Spiridon Louis ( GRE ) Charilaos Vasilakos ( GRE ) Gyula Kellner ( HUN ) 1900 Paris details Michel Théato ( FRA ) Émile Champion ( FRA ) Ernst Fast ( SWE ) 1904 St. Louis details Thomas Hicks ( USA ) Albert Corey ( USA ) Arthur Newton ( USA ) 1908 London details Johnny Hayes ( USA ) Charles Hefferon ( RSA ) Joseph Forshaw ( USA ) 1912 Stockholm details Ken McArthur ( RSA ) Christian Gitsham ( RSA ) Gaston Strobino ( USA ) 1920 Antwerp details Hannes Kolehmainen ( FIN ) Jüri Lossmann ( EST ) Valerio Arri ( ITA ) 1924 Paris details Albin Stenroos ( FIN ) Romeo Bertini ( ITA ) Clarence DeMar ( USA ) 1928 Amsterdam details Boughera El Ouafi ( FRA ) Manuel Plaza ( CHI ) Martti Marttelin ( FIN ) 1932 Los Angeles details Juan Carlos Zabala ( ARG ) Sam Ferris ( GBR ) Armas Toivonen ( FIN ) 1936 Berlin details Sohn Kee - chung ( JPN ) Ernest Harper ( GBR ) Nan Shoryu ( JPN ) 1948 London details Delfo Cabrera ( ARG ) Tom Richards ( GBR ) Étienne Gailly ( BEL ) 1952 Helsinki details Emil Zátopek ( TCH ) Reinaldo Gorno ( ARG ) Gustaf Jansson ( SWE ) 1956 Melbourne details Alain Mimoun ( FRA ) Franjo Mihalić ( YUG ) Veikko Karvonen ( FIN ) 1960 Rome details Abebe Bikila ( ETH ) Rhadi Ben Abdesselam ( MAR ) Barry Magee ( NZL ) 1964 Tokyo details Abebe Bikila ( ETH ) Basil Heatley ( GBR ) Kokichi Tsuburaya ( JPN ) 1968 Mexico City details Mamo Wolde ( ETH ) Kenji Kimihara ( JPN ) Mike Ryan ( NZL ) 1972 Munich details Frank Shorter ( USA ) Karel Lismont ( BEL ) Mamo Wolde ( ETH ) 1976 Montreal details Waldemar Cierpinski ( GDR ) Frank Shorter ( USA ) Karel Lismont ( BEL ) 1980 Moscow details Waldemar Cierpinski ( GDR ) Gerard Nijboer ( NED ) Satymkul Dzhumanazarov ( URS ) 1984 Los Angeles details Carlos Lopes ( POR ) John Treacy ( IRL ) Charlie Spedding ( GBR ) 1988 Seoul details Gelindo Bordin ( ITA ) Douglas Wakiihuri ( KEN ) Ahmed Salah ( DJI ) 1992 Barcelona details Hwang Young - cho ( KOR ) Koichi Morishita ( JPN ) Stephan Freigang ( GER ) 1996 Atlanta details Josia Thugwane ( RSA ) Lee Bong - ju ( KOR ) Erick Wainaina ( KEN ) 2000 Sydney details Gezahegne Abera ( ETH ) Erick Wainaina ( KEN ) Tesfaye Tola ( ETH ) 2004 Athens details Stefano Baldini ( ITA ) Mebrahtom Keflezighi ( USA ) Vanderlei de Lima ( BRA ) 2008 Beijing details Samuel Wanjiru ( KEN ) Jaouad Gharib ( MAR ) Tsegay Kebede ( ETH ) 2012 London details Stephen Kiprotich ( UGA ) Abel Kirui ( KEN ) Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich ( KEN ) 2016 Rio de Janeiro details Eliud Kipchoge ( KEN ) Feyisa Lelisa ( ETH ) Galen Rupp ( USA ) Women Games Gold Silver Bronze 1984 Los Angeles details Joan Benoit ( USA ) Grete Waitz ( NOR ) Rosa Mota ( POR ) 1988 Seoul details Rosa Mota ( POR ) Lisa Martin ( AUS ) Katrin Dörre ( GDR ) 1992 Barcelona details Valentina Yegorova ( EUN ) Yuko Arimori ( JPN ) Lorraine Moller ( NZL ) 1996 Atlanta details Fatuma Roba ( ETH ) Valentina Yegorova ( RUS ) Yuko Arimori ( JPN ) 2000 Sydney details Naoko Takahashi ( JPN ) Lidia Șimon ( ROU ) Joyce Chepchumba ( KEN ) 2004 Athens details Mizuki Noguchi ( JPN ) Catherine Ndereba ( KEN ) Deena Kastor ( USA ) 2008 Beijing details Constantina Tomescu ( ROU ) Catherine Ndereba ( KEN ) Zhou Chunxiu ( CHN ) 2012 London details Tiki Gelana ( ETH ) Priscah Jeptoo ( KEN ) Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova ( RUS ) 2016 Rio de Janeiro details Jemima Sumgong ( KEN ) Eunice Kirwa ( BRN ) Mare Dibaba ( ETH ) World Championships medalists Men Championships Gold Silver Bronze 1983 Helsinki details Robert de Castella ( AUS ) Kebede Balcha ( ETH ) Waldemar Cierpinski ( GDR ) 1987 Rome details Douglas Wakiihuri ( KEN ) Hussein Ahmed Salah ( DJI ) Gelindo Bordin ( ITA ) 1991 Tokyo details Hiromi Taniguchi ( JPN ) Hussein Ahmed Salah ( DJI ) Steve Spence ( USA ) 1993 Stuttgart details Mark Plaatjes ( USA ) Luketz Swartbooi ( NAM ) Bert van Vlaanderen ( NED ) 1995 Gothenburg details Martín Fiz ( ESP ) Dionicio Cerón ( MEX ) Luíz Antônio dos Santos ( BRA ) 1997 Athens details Abel Antón ( ESP ) Martín Fiz ( ESP ) Steve Moneghetti ( AUS ) 1999 Seville details Abel Antón ( ESP ) Vincenzo Modica ( ITA ) Nobuyuki Sato ( JPN ) 2001 Edmonton details Gezahegne Abera ( ETH ) Simon Biwott ( KEN ) Stefano Baldini ( ITA ) 2003 Saint - Denis details Jaouad Gharib ( MAR ) Julio Rey ( ESP ) Stefano Baldini ( ITA ) 2005 Helsinki details Jaouad Gharib ( MAR ) Christopher Isengwe ( TAN ) Tsuyoshi Ogata ( JPN ) 2007 Osaka details Luke Kibet ( KEN ) Mubarak Hassan Shami ( QAT ) Viktor Röthlin ( SUI ) 2009 Berlin details Abel Kirui ( KEN ) Emmanuel Mutai ( KEN ) Tsegaye Kebede ( ETH ) 2011 Daegu details Abel Kirui ( KEN ) Vincent Kipruto ( KEN ) Feyisa Lilesa ( ETH ) 2013 Moscow details Stephen Kiprotich ( UGA ) Lelisa Desisa ( ETH ) Tadese Tola ( ETH ) 2015 Beijing details Ghirmay Ghebreslassie ( ERI ) Yemane Tsegay ( ETH ) Solomon Mutai ( UGA ) 2017 London details Geoffrey Kirui ( KEN ) Tamirat Tola ( ETH ) Alphonce Simbu ( TAN ) Women Championships Gold Silver Bronze 1983 Helsinki details Grete Waitz ( NOR ) Marianne Dickerson ( USA ) Raisa Smekhnova ( URS ) 1987 Rome details Rosa Mota ( POR ) Zoya Ivanova ( URS ) Jocelyne Villeton ( FRA ) 1991 Tokyo details Wanda Panfil ( POL ) Sachiko Yamashita ( JPN ) Katrin Dörre ( GER ) 1993 Stuttgart details Junko Asari ( JPN ) Manuela Machado ( POR ) Tomoe Abe ( JPN ) 1995 Gothenburg details Manuela Machado ( POR ) Anuța Cătună ( ROU ) Ornella Ferrara ( ITA ) 1997 Athens details Hiromi Suzuki ( JPN ) Manuela Machado ( POR ) Lidia Slăvuțeanu ( ROU ) 1999 Seville details Jong Song - ok ( PRK ) Ari Ichihashi ( JPN ) Lidia Șimon ( ROU ) 2001 Edmonton details Lidia Șimon ( ROU ) Reiko Tosa ( JPN ) Svetlana Zakharova ( RUS ) 2003 Saint - Denis details Catherine Ndereba ( KEN ) Mizuki Noguchi ( JPN ) Masako Chiba ( JPN ) 2005 Helsinki details Paula Radcliffe ( GBR ) Catherine Ndereba ( KEN ) Constantina Diţă - Tomescu ( ROU ) 2007 Osaka details Catherine Ndereba ( KEN ) Zhou Chunxiu ( CHN ) Reiko Tosa ( JPN ) 2009 Berlin details Bai Xue ( CHN ) Yoshimi Ozaki ( JPN ) Aselefech Mergia ( ETH ) 2011 Daegu details Edna Kiplagat ( KEN ) Priscah Jeptoo ( KEN ) Sharon Cherop ( KEN ) 2013 Moscow details Edna Kiplagat ( KEN ) Valeria Straneo ( ITA ) Kayoko Fukushi ( JPN ) 2015 Beijing details Mare Dibaba ( ETH ) Helah Kiprop ( KEN ) Eunice Kirwa ( BHR ) 2017 London details Rose Chelimo ( BHR ) Edna Kiplagat ( KEN ) Amy Cragg ( USA ) Running Start of the 2009 Stockholm Marathon Most participants do not run a marathon to win. More important for most runners is their personal finish time and their placement within their specific gender and age group, though some runners just want to finish. Strategies for completing a marathon include running the whole distance and a run -- walk strategy. In 2005, the average marathon time in the U.S. was 4 hours 32 minutes 8 seconds for men, 5 hours 6 minutes 8 seconds for women. In 2015, the men 's and women 's median marathon times were 4 hours 20 minutes 13 seconds and 4 hours 45 minutes 30 seconds respectively. A goal many runners aim for is to break certain time barriers. For example, recreational first - timers often try to run the marathon under four hours ; more competitive runners may attempt to finish under three hours. Other benchmarks are the qualifying times for major marathons. The Boston Marathon, the oldest marathon in the United States, requires a qualifying time for all non-professional runners. The New York City Marathon also requires a qualifying time for guaranteed entry, at a significantly faster pace than Boston 's. Typically, there is a maximum allowed time of about six hours after which the marathon route is closed, although some larger marathons keep the course open considerably longer ( eight hours or more ). Many marathons around the world have such time limits by which all runners must have crossed the finish line. Anyone slower than the limit will be picked up by a sweeper bus. In many cases the marathon organizers are required to reopen the roads to the public so that traffic can return to normal. With the growth in popularity of marathoning, many marathons across the United States and the world have been filling to capacity faster than ever before. When the Boston Marathon opened up registration for its 2011 running, the field capacity was filled within eight hours. Training MoonWalk is a nocturnal charity marathon to raise money for breast cancer research. The long run is an important element in marathon training. Recreational runners commonly try to reach a maximum of about 32 km ( 20 mi ) in their longest weekly run and a total of about 64 km ( 40 mi ) a week when training for the marathon, but wide variability exists in practice and in recommendations. More experienced marathoners may run a longer distance during the week. Greater weekly training mileages can offer greater results in terms of distance and endurance, but also carry a greater risk of training injury. Most male elite marathon runners will have weekly mileages of over 160 km ( 100 mi ). It is recommended that those new to running should get a checkup from their doctor, as there are certain warning signs and risk factors that should be evaluated before undertaking any new workout program, especially marathon training. Many training programs last a minimum of five or six months, with a gradual increase in the distance run and finally, for recovery, a period of tapering in the weeks preceding the race. For beginners wishing to merely finish a marathon, a minimum of four months of running four days a week is recommended. Many trainers recommend a weekly increase in mileage of no more than 10 %. It is also often advised to maintain a consistent running program for six weeks or so before beginning a marathon training program, to allow the body to adapt to the new stresses. The marathon training program itself would suppose variation between hard and easy training, with a periodization of the general plan. Training programs can be found at the websites of Runner 's World, Hal Higdon, Jeff Galloway, and the Boston Athletic Association, and in numerous other published sources, including the websites of specific marathons. The last long training run might be undertaken up to two weeks prior to the event. Many marathon runners also `` carbo - load '' ( increase carbohydrate intake while holding total caloric intake constant ) during the week before the marathon to allow their bodies to store more glycogen. Glycogen and `` the wall '' Main article : Hitting the wall A competitor collapses just prior to the finish line of the 2006 Melbourne Marathon Carbohydrates that a person eats are converted by the liver and muscles into glycogen for storage. Glycogen burns rapidly to provide quick energy. Runners can store about 8 MJ or 2,000 kcal worth of glycogen in their bodies, enough for about 30 km / 18 -- 20 miles of running. Many runners report that running becomes noticeably more difficult at that point. When glycogen runs low, the body must then obtain energy by burning stored fat, which does not burn as readily. When this happens, the runner will experience dramatic fatigue and is said to `` hit the wall ''. The aim of training for the marathon, according to many coaches, is to maximize the limited glycogen available so that the fatigue of the `` wall '' is not as dramatic. This is accomplished in part by utilizing a higher percentage of energy from burned fat even during the early phase of the race, thus conserving glycogen. Carbohydrate - based `` energy gels '' are used by runners to avoid or reduce the effect of `` hitting the wall '', as they provide easy to digest energy during the run. Energy gels usually contain varying amounts of sodium and potassium and some also contain caffeine. They need to be consumed with a certain amount of water. Recommendations for how often to take an energy gel during the race range widely. A runner getting encouragement at Mile 25 of the Boston Marathon Alternatives to gels include various forms of concentrated sugars, and foods high in simple carbohydrates that can be digested easily. Many runners experiment with consuming energy supplements during training runs to determine what works best for them. Consumption of food while running sometimes makes the runner sick. Runners are advised not to ingest a new food or medicine just prior to or during a race. It is also important to refrain from taking any of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory class of pain relievers ( NSAIDs, e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen ), as these drugs may change the way the kidneys regulate their blood flow and may lead to serious kidney problems, especially in cases involving moderate to severe dehydration. NSAIDS block the COX - 2 enzyme pathway to prevent the production of prostaglandins. These prostaglandins may act as inflammation factors throughout the body, but they also play a crucial role in maintenance of water retention. In less than 5 % of the whole population that take NSAIDS, individuals may be more negatively sensitive to renal prostaglandin synthesis inhibition. After a Marathon Marathon participation may result in various medical, musculoskeletal, and dermatological complaints. Delayed onset muscle soreness ( DOMS ) is a common condition affecting runners during the first week following a marathon. Various types of mild exercise or massage have been recommended to alleviate pain secondary to DOMS. Dermatological issues frequently include `` jogger 's nipple '', `` jogger 's toe '', and blisters. The immune system is reportedly suppressed for a short time. Changes to the blood chemistry may lead physicians to mistakenly diagnose heart malfunction. After long training runs and the marathon itself, consuming carbohydrates to replace glycogen stores and protein to aid muscle recovery is commonly recommended. In addition, soaking the lower half of the body for approximately 20 minutes in cold or ice water may force blood through the leg muscles to speed recovery. Health risks See also : List of marathon fatalities Marathon running has various health risks. Training and the races themselves put runners under stress. While rare, even death is a possibility during a race. Common health risks include injury such as blisters, tendonitis, fatigue, knee or ankle sprain, dehydration ( electrolyte imbalance ), and other conditions. Many are categorised as overuse injuries. Cardiac health Officers patrolling a marathon course in Ukraine In 2016, a systematic medical review found that the risk of sudden cardiac death during or immediately after a marathon was between 0.6 and 1.9 deaths per 100,000 participants, varying across the specific studies and the methods used, and not controlling for age or gender. Since the risk is small, cardiac screening programs for marathons are uncommon. However, this review was not an attempt to assess the overall cardiac health impact of marathon running. A 2006 study of non-elite Boston Marathon participants tested runners for certain proteins that indicate heart damage or dysfunction ( see Troponin ) and gave them echocardiogram scans, before and after the marathon. The study revealed that, in that sample of 60 people, runners who had done less than 56 km ( 35 mi ) of weekly training before the race were most likely to show some heart damage or dysfunction, while runners who had done more than 72 km ( 45 mi ) of weekly training showed few or no heart problems. According to a Canadian study presented in 2010, running a marathon can temporarily result in decreased function of more than half the muscle segments in the heart 's main pumping chamber, but neighboring segments are generally able to compensate. Full recovery is reached within one to three months. The fitter the runner, the less the effect. According to one of the researchers : `` Regular exercise reduces cardiovascular risk by a factor of two or three in the long run, but while we 're doing vigorous exercise such as marathon running, our cardiac risk increases by seven. '' Hydration A volunteer hands out fluids at a marathon water stop Overconsumption is the most significant concern associated with water consumption during marathons. Drinking excessive amounts of fluid during a race can lead to dilution of sodium in the blood, a condition called exercise - associated hyponatremia, which may result in vomiting, seizures, coma and even death. Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, medical director for the New York City Marathon, stated in 2005 : `` There are no reported cases of dehydration causing death in the history of world running, but there are plenty of cases of people dying of hyponatremia. '' For example, Dr. Cynthia Lucero died at the age of 28 while participating in the 2002 Boston Marathon. It was Lucero 's second marathon. At mile 22, Lucero complained of feeling `` dehydrated and rubber - legged. '' She soon wobbled and collapsed to the ground, and was unconscious by the time the paramedics reached her. Lucero was admitted to Brigham and Women 's Hospital and died two days later. Lucero 's cause of death was determined to be hyponatremic encephalopathy, a condition that causes swelling of the brain due to an imbalance of sodium in the blood known as exercise - associated hyponatremia ( EAH ). While EAH is sometimes referred to as `` water intoxication, '' Lucero drank large amounts of Gatorade during the race, demonstrating that runners who consume sodium - containing sports drinks in excess of thirst can still develop EAH. Because hyponatremia is caused by excessive water retention, and not just loss of sodium, consumption of sports drinks or salty foods may not prevent hyponatremia. Women are more prone to hyponatremia than men. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 13 % of runners completing the 2002 Boston Marathon had hyponatremia. Fluid intake should be adjusted individually as factors such as body weight, sex, climate, pace, fitness ( VO max ), and sweat rate are just a few variables that change fluid requirements between people and races. The International Marathon Medical Directors Association ( IMMDA ) advises that runners drink a sports drink that includes carbohydrates and electrolytes instead of plain water and that runners should `` drink to thirst '' instead of feeling compelled to drink at every fluid station. Heat exposure leads to diminished thirst drive and thirst may not be a sufficient incentive to drink in many situations. The IMMDA and HSL Harpur Hill give recommendations to drink fluid in small volumes frequently at an approximate rate falling between 100 -- 250 ml ( 3.4 -- 8.5 US fl oz ) every 15 minutes. A patient suffering hyponatremia can be given a small volume of a concentrated salt solution intravenously to raise sodium concentrations in the blood. Some runners weigh themselves before running and write the results on their bibs. If anything goes wrong, first aid workers can use the weight information to tell if the patient had consumed too much water. Body temperature Exertional heat stroke is an emergency condition in which thermoregulation fails and the body temperature rises dangerously above 104 ° F ( 40 ° C ). It becomes a greater risk in warm and humid weather, even for young and fit individuals. Treatment requires rapid physical cooling of the body. Charity involvement Some charities seek to associate with various races. Some marathon organizers set aside a portion their limited entry slots for charity organizations to sell to members in exchange for donations. Runners are given the option to sign up to run particular races, especially when marathon entries are no longer available to the general public. In some cases, charities organize their own marathon as a fund - raiser ( gaining funds via entry fees or through sponsorships ). Mars rover Marathon Opportunity 's traverse in 2015 as it approached the Marathon Valley, and the traveled distance of a traditional marathon ( about 42 kilometers ( 26 mi ) ) In 2015 the Mars rover Opportunity attained the distance of a marathon from its starting location on Mars, and the valley where it achieved this distance was called Marathon Valley, which was then explored. See also Athletics portal List of marathon races List of marathoners List of marathoners who are non-running specialists List of marathon national champions ( men ) Pacemaker ( running ) National records in the marathon Ekiden ( marathon relays ) Marathon at the Paralympics Marathon world record progression Half marathon Man versus Horse Marathon Mountain marathon Multiday race Ironman Triathlon Ski marathon 100 Marathon Club Notes and references Notes Jump up ^ In modern Greek the sports event is called Marathonios Dromos ( Μαραθώνιος Δρόμος ) or simply Marathonios. References ^ Jump up to : `` IAAF Competition Rules for Road Races ''. International Association of Athletics Federations. International Association of Athletics Federations. 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2010. Jump up ^ `` Marathons in history with > 30,000 finishers ''. AIMS : World Running. Association of International Marathons and Distance Races. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Retreats -- Athens ''. Jeffgalloway.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Jump up ^ `` Astronomers Unravel Marathon Mystery ''. Sky & Telescope. 19 July 2004. Retrieved 21 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` Ancient Olympics FAQ 10 ''. Perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Jump up ^ Moralia 347C Jump up ^ A slip of the tongue in Salutation, Chapter 3 Jump up ^ `` Prologue : The Legend ''. Marathonguide.com. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Jump up ^ Holland, Tom ( 2007 ) Persian Fire, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, ISBN 0307386988. Jump up ^ Kemp, Ian ( 27 September 2013 ). `` The Great Marathon Myth ''. Cool Running New Zealand. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Jump up ^ Herodotus, The Histories Herodotus makes no mention of a runner following the battle runner, and such a runner is mentioned only in much later sources, Nowadays the story of the `` Marathon runner '' is generally rejected as a fiction, possibly arising from confusion with the runner sent to Sparta before the battle. ( Penguin Books : New York, 1977 ) p. 425. Jump up ^ Burfoot, Amby ( October 26, 2010 ). `` The Truth about Pheidippides and the Early Years of Marathon History ''. Runner 's World. Retrieved 25 December 2014. Jump up ^ Richard Benyo ; Joe Henderson ( 2002 ). Running Encyclopedia. Human Kinetics. p. 250. ISBN 9780736037341. Retrieved 6 April 2017. Jump up ^ This date is specified as March 10 in some sources as Greece used the Julian calendar at the time. Jump up ^ Anthony Bijkerk ; David C. Young ( Winter 1999 ). `` That Memorable First Marathon '' ( PDF ). Journal of Olympic History. ISOH : 27. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2017... Results summary : page 27, annotation 3. Jump up ^ Bill Mallon ; Ture Widlund ( 1997 ). 1896 Olympic Games : Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. McFarland. p. 69. ISBN 9781476609508. Retrieved 6 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` 1896, Marathon Runners, Burton Holmes ''. Getty Images. Archived from the original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2015. Jump up ^ Burton Holmes ( 1905 ). The Burton Holmes Lectures : The Olympian games in Athens. Grecian journeys. The wonders of Thessaly. New York : McClure, Phillips & Co. p. 69. ISBN 9781276985949. Retrieved 25 April 2015. ( Digital compilation from original title : The Burton Holmes Lectures ( Volume 3 ) : With Illustrations from Photographs by the Author, Year : 1901, ISBN 9781151940469, on 6 November 2008, University of Michigan ) Jump up ^ `` Olympic Champion Joan Benoit Samuelson To Be Guest of Honor at Manchester Marathon -- Registration Closed ''. Cool Running. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Jump up ^ `` Marathon Race ''. Marathon Run Museum. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Mapping out the London Olympic Marathon course ''. The AZ Blog. Retrieved 21 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Visualizing the Rio Olympic Marathon Course ''. Runner 's World. Retrieved 21 August 2016. Jump up ^ Wanjiru and Gharib break OR in Men 's Marathon. En.beijing2008.cn ( 24 August 2008 ). Archived 4 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Women 's Marathon -- Olympic Athletics ''. Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Retrieved 5 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Track and Field Athletics ''. The World 1910 Almanac and Encyclopedia. New York : Press Publishing Company. 1909. pp. 384 -- 385. ^ Jump up to : Whorton, James C. ( 1992 ). `` '' Athlete 's Heart `` : The Medical Debate over Athleticism, 1870 -- 1920 ''. In Berryman, Jack W. ; Park, Robert J. Sport and Exercise Science : Essays in the History of Sports Medicine. University of Illinois Press. p. 127. ISBN 0 - 252 - 06242 - 6. Jump up ^ Robinson, Roger ( January -- February 2009 ). `` Footsteps : ' Tis the ( Racing ) Season ; 100 Years of Holiday Running ''. Running Times Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2011. Jump up ^ Cooper, Pamela ( 1999 ). `` New York City Marathon Culture ''. The American Marathon. Syracuse, New York : Syracuse University Press. pp. 27 -- 48. ISBN 0 - 8156 - 0573 - 0. Jump up ^ `` 2015 Running USA Annual Marathon Report ''. RunningUSA.org. Running USA. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` Marathon Guide : International Marathons Report ''. MarathonGuide. MarathonGuide. Retrieved 12 November 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Olympic Marathon ( excerpt ) ''. Charlie Lovett. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. 1997. Retrieved 1 November 2010. Jump up ^ Karl Lennartz. `` Two Women Ran the Marathon in 1896 '' ( PDF ). International Society of Olympic Historians ISOH. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` World Best Progressions - Road ''. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 1 November 2010. Jump up ^ Krise, Raymond and Squires, Bill ( 1982 ). Fast Tracks : The History of Distance Running Since 884 B.C., S. Greene Press, p. 43, ISBN 0828904820. Jump up ^ Gross, Albert C. ( 1986 ) Endurance, Dodd Mead, ISBN 0396088880. Jump up ^ First woman to run marathon in US Jump up ^ Arlene Pieper -- First Lady Marathoner Jump up ^ `` Boston, 1967 : When marathons were just for men ''. BBC News. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2014. Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially run the race 45 years ago, despite stewards trying to physically force the 20 - year - old off the road. Jump up ^ Semple, Jock ; with John J. Kelley and Tom Murphy ( 1981 ). Just Call Me Jock : The Story of Jock Semple, Boston 's Mr. Marathon, pages 7, 114 -- 118, Waterford Publishing Co., ISBN 978 - 0942052015 Jump up ^ Boston Marathon History. baa.org Jump up ^ Boston Marathon History : Past Women 's Open Champions. baa.org Jump up ^ `` Feminist Daily News 10 / 29 / 2015 : Afghan Woman Runs in Country 's First Marathon ''. Feminist.org. 2015 - 10 - 29. Retrieved 2015 - 11 - 02. Jump up ^ Bryant, J. ( 2007 ) 100 Years and Still Running, Marathon News Jump up ^ Wilcock, Bob ( March 2008 ). `` The 1908 Olympic Marathon ''. Journal of Olympic History. 16 ( 1 ). Jump up ^ `` History of the Athens Marathon ''. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012. Jump up ^ `` Marathon : How it works '', IAAF website Jump up ^ `` The Marathon journey to reach 42.195 km ''. european-athletics.org. 25 April 2008. Archived from the original on 2008 - 09 - 24. Retrieved 23 July 2009. Jump up ^ Martin, David E. ; Roger W.H. Gynn ( May 2000 ). The Olympic Marathon. Human Kinetics Publishers. p. 113. ISBN 978 - 0 - 88011 - 969 - 6. Jump up ^ `` IAAF Competition Rules 2008 '' ( PDF ). IAAF. p. 195. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009. Jump up ^ IAAF Competition Rules 2012 -- 2013 -- Rule 240. None. Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` IAAF Competition Rules 2010 -- 2011 '' ( PDF ). IAAF. pp. 230 -- 235. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2011. Jump up ^ Day, Sharlene M. ; Thompson, Paul D. ( 4 June 2010 ). `` Cardiac risks associated with marathon running ''. Sports Health. 2 ( 4 ) : 301 -- 306. PMC 3445091. doi : 10.1177 / 1941738110373066. Jump up ^ AIMS -- About AIMS. Aimsworldrunning.org ( 30 March 2007 ). Retrieved on 19 April 2011. Jump up ^ The World 's Top 10 Marathons. runnersworld.com. Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` The History of the Boston Marathon : A Perfect Way to Celebrate Patriot 's Day ''. The Atlantic. Retrieved April 23, 2013. Jump up ^ guest. `` In Pheidippides ' Footsteps : 30th Annual Athens Classic Marathon GreekReporter.com ''. Greece.greekreporter.com. Retrieved 2015 - 06 - 01. Jump up ^ Detroit Free Press Marathon. Freepmarathon.com. Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ Sports medicine, training, and rehabilitation. 3. 1991. p. 95. Jump up ^ Patrick, Dwyne R. ; Bignall, John E. ( 1987 ). `` Creating the competent self : The case of the wheelchair runner ''. In Joseph A. Kotarba ; Andrea Fontana. The Existential Self in Society. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0 - 226 - 45141 - 0. Jump up ^ Davis, Alison ( 1996 ). `` The History of Wheelchair Racing at the Boston Marathon ''. Against the Wind. University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Jump up ^ Davis, Alison ( 1996 ). `` Interview with Bob Hall ''. Against the Wind. University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Jump up ^ Couch, Aaron ( 18 April 2011 ). `` Boston Marathon : five historic moments ''. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 20 May 2011. ^ Jump up to : Dicker, Ron ( 5 November 2000 ). `` New York City Marathon ; New Equipment Stirs Division Within Wheelchair Ranks ''. New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2011. Jump up ^ Vega, Michael ( 19 April 2010 ). `` Ernst Van Dyk wins record 9th wheelchair title ''. Boston Globe. Retrieved 21 May 2011. Jump up ^ Cooper, Rory A. ; Boninger, Michael L. ; Rice, Ian ; Sean D. Shimada ; Rosemarie Cooper ( 1996 ). `` Elite athletes with impairments ''. In Walter R. Frontera ; David M. Slovik ; David Michael Dawson. Exercise in rehabilitation medicine. Human Kinetics. p. 333. ISBN 0 - 7360 - 5541 - X. Jump up ^ `` Wheelchair entrants axed from marathon ''. Calgary Herald. 17 October 1977. Retrieved 20 May 2011. Jump up ^ Association Press ( 22 October 1977 ). `` Marathon entry on wheels ''. Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved 20 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` Wheelchair athletes win marathon appeal ''. Tri City Herald. 26 October 1980. Retrieved 20 May 2011. Jump up ^ United Press International ( 11 April 1981 ). `` Marathon Wins Wheelchair Ban ''. New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` Fast Forward In Reverse ''. New York Times. 11 November 1986. Retrieved 21 May 2011. Jump up ^ Glenday, Craig ( 2013 ). Guinness World Records Limited. Jane Boatfield. p. 247. ISBN 978 - 1 908843 - 15 - 9. Jump up ^ `` Runner 's World What Will It Take to Run A 2 - Hour Marathon ''. rw.runnersworld.com. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 28. Jump up ^ `` KIMETTO BREAKS MARATHON WORLD RECORD IN BERLIN WITH 2 : 02 : 57 ''. IAAF. Retrieved 28 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` WILSON KIPSANG SETS WORLD RECORD OF 2 : 03 : 23 IN BERLIN MARATHON ''. IAAF. 29 September 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Paula Radcliffe keeps her marathon world record in IAAF about - turn ''. The Guardian. London. 10 November 2011. Jump up ^ Men 's marathon records. iaaf.org. Retrieved on 26 October 2016. Jump up ^ Women 's marathon records. iaaf.org. Retrieved on 26 April 2016. ^ Jump up to : Cathal Dennehy ( 25 September 2016 ). `` Bekele gets back to his brilliant best at Berlin Marathon ''. IAAF. Retrieved 25 September 2016. Jump up ^ Jon Mulkeen ( 24 September 2017 ). `` Kipchoge holds off surprise package Adola to regain Berlin Marathon title ''. IAAF. Retrieved 25 September 2017. Jump up ^ Jon Mulkeen ( 6 May 2017 ). `` Kipchoge a ' happy man ' in Monza ''. IAAF. Retrieved 6 May 2017. Jump up ^ Ken Nakamura ( 26 February 2017 ). `` Kipsang and Chepchirchir clock world leads and Japanese all - comers ' records at Tokyo Marathon ''. IAAF. Retrieved 2 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` Brigid Kosgei Chicago Marathon 2017 Result ''. chicagomarathon.com. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` 100 - year - old sets record with marathon finish ''. CBC News. 16 October 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2017. Jump up ^ ' Gladyator ' aged 92 breaks marathon record. Telegraph ( 6 April 2011 ). Retrieved on 19 April 2011. Jump up ^ Brit woman, 92, breaks world record after finishing Honolulu Marathon. Dailyindia.com. Retrieved on 19 April 2011. Jump up ^ `` World Single Age Records - Marathon ''. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011. Jump up ^ Fenton, Ben. ( 19 April 2004 ) Everything you wanted to know about the marathon but were too exhausted to ask. Telegraph. Retrieved on 19 April 2011. Jump up ^ London Marathon : 25 reasons to celebrate the London Marathon -- More Sports, Sport. The Independent ( 16 April 2005 ). Retrieved on 19 April 2011. ^ Jump up to : Associated Press. `` Harriette Thompson, 92, becomes oldest woman to complete a marathon Sport ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 2015 - 06 - 01. Jump up ^ 3 year - old marathon runner Retrieved 4 July 2013 Jump up ^ `` 2016 Running USA Annual Marathon Report Running USA ''. www.runningusa.org. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Marathon Statistics - FindMyMarathon.com ''. www.findmymarathon.com. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 19. Jump up ^ Meyers, Jessica ( 2017 - 09 - 11 ). `` As running booms in China, marathoners look to Boston ''. The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 12. Jump up ^ `` 100 Marathon Club ''. 100 Marathon Club. Retrieved 12 September 2012. Jump up ^ Trevallion, Lucy ( 13 November 2012 ). `` New multi marathon world record ''. Runner 's World UK. Retrieved 14 November 2012. Jump up ^ 50&DC Marathon Group U.S.A. Archived 27 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine... Retrieved 11 April 2010. Jump up ^ Mile posts : And now the rest of the story with Beverly Paquin Des Moines Register Staff Blogs Archived 12 July 2012 at Archive.is. Blogs.desmoinesregister.com ( 20 October 2010 ). Retrieved on 19 April 2011. Jump up ^ Alumna Runs Marathons in 50 States and D.C., Sets Record ! `` Slice of MIT by the Alumni Association. Alum.mit.edu ( 16 November 2010 ). Retrieved on 19 April 2011. Jump up ^ `` Accolades ''. 50anddcmarathongroupusa.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Jump up ^ `` CBC Archives : television and radio spots on Terry Fox ''. Archives.cbc.ca. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Jump up ^ Richter, Marice ( 26 September 2011 ). `` Multiple sclerosis patient finishes 50th marathon ''. Reuters. Retrieved 26 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` Fiennes relishes marathon feat ''. BBC News. 3 November 2003. Jump up ^ I am not a madman. Interview with Guardian, 5 October 2007 Jump up ^ Irish Independent retrieved 120812. Independent.ie ( 6 February 2009 ). Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ Interviewed on CNN. Edition.cnn.com ( 28 February 2012 ). Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ Welcome to the World Marathon Challenge 2012. Worldmarathonchallenge.com. Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ Davis, Leanne ( 24 February 2013 ). `` Cowtown notes : San Antonio runner logs his 1,000 th marathon ''. star-telegram.com. Jump up ^ Orton, Kathy ( 27 October 2004 ). `` Texan 's Weekend Job Provides Great Benefits ''. The Washington Post. pp. D4. Retrieved 28 November 2007. Jump up ^ Blaikie, David ( 14 September 1998 ). `` The Sy Mah Trophy honours a running legend ''. Ultramarathon World. Archived from the original on 3 December 1998. Jump up ^ Gesamtstatistik zum 30.06. 2008. 100mc.de ( 30 June 2008 ). Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ 100 Marathon Club site ( in German ) Archived 1 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine... 100mc.de. Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ 50 States & D.C. Marathon Group site Archived 27 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine... Retrieved 28 November 2007. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 2013 - 06 - 17... Retrieved 17 June 2013. Jump up ^ Kramer, Michael ( 5 December 2016 ). `` Christian Hottas lief seinen 2.500 sten Marathon ''. Runner 's World Deutschland ( in German ). Retrieved 21 March 2017. Jump up ^ Dou, Eva ( 10 February 2011 ). `` Belgian sets world record for marathon running ''. Reuters. Retrieved 21 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` Belgian Stefaan Engels completes record 365th marathon ''. BBC. 5 February 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2011. Jump up ^ `` Seres sobrehumanos ''. Corredor de fondo. Retrieved 29 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` Challenge accomplished : 500 marathons in 500 days ''. 13 February 2012. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 22. Jump up ^ Litsky, Frank ( 8 October 2004 ) John A. Kelley, Marathoner, Dies at 97. The New York Times. Retrieved on 6 December 2009. Jump up ^ Runner With Longest Boston Streak Retires Jump up ^ The IOC attributes Théato 's medal to France, despite later sources finding that his nationality was Luxembourgish. Jump up ^ Corey is described in the 1904 Games report as a `` Frenchman wearing the colors of the Chicago Athletic Association '', but the IOC attributes his medal to the United States. ^ Jump up to : Both Sohn Kee - chung ( Son Kitei ) and Nam Sung - yong ( Nan Shoryu ) were from Korea. The IOC attributes both medals to Japan due to Korea being a Japanese colony at the time. All Korean Olympians during the Japanese colonial rule could only participate in the games as a representative of Japan and had to compete with Japanese names instead of their original Korean names. However, some sources still refer to Son Kitei as the first Korean to win an Olympic marathon today. ^ Jump up to : `` Training programs ''. Hal Higdon. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Jump up ^ `` 2005 Total USA Marathon Finishers ''. Marathonguide.com. Retrieved 24 April 2008. Jump up ^ `` 2015 Running USA Annual Marathon Report ''. Running USA. Retrieved 6 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Running a sub 3 hour marathon allaboutrunning.net ''. allaboutrunning.net. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Jump up ^ `` Boston Athletic Association ''. Bostonmarathon.org. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Jump up ^ The ING New York City Marathon Jump up ^ Online, sprinters win race : Marathon fills its field in a record 8 hours. Boston.com ( 19 October 2010 ). Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ McMillan, Greg The Marathon Long Run. mcmillanrunning.com ^ Jump up to : Daniels, J. ( 2005 ). Daniels ' Running Formula, 2nd Ed. Human Kinetics Publishing. ISBN 0 - 7360 - 5492 - 8. Jump up ^ `` Marathon Training Tips ''. Rush University Medical Center. Retrieved 24 July 2015. Jump up ^ Whitsett et al. ( 1998 ) The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. Master 's Press. Jump up ^ Finishing A Marathon Archived 3 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine... Calendarofmarathons.com. Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ Burfoot, A. Ed ( 1999 ). Runner 's World Complete Book of Running : Everything You Need to Know to Run for Fun, Fitness and Competition. Rodale Books. ISBN 1 - 57954 - 186 - 0. Jump up ^ Marius Bakken. `` Training For A Marathon ''. Marius Bakken 's Marathon Training Schedule. Retrieved 17 April 2009. Jump up ^ `` Marathon Training at Runner 's World ''. Runnersworld.com. 15 February 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Jump up ^ `` Boston Athletic Association ''. Bostonmarathon.org. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2010. Jump up ^ `` Hitting the wall for marathon runners ''. Half-marathon-running.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2009. ^ Jump up to : Klein, Michael ( 3 October 2008 ). `` Lesser - known Dangers Associated with Running a Marathon ''. E-articles.info. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Jump up ^ Brater, D. Craig ( 17 January 2000 ). `` Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on renal function : focus on cyclooxygenase − 2 -- selective inhibition ''. The American Journal of Medicine. 107 ( 6 ) : 65 -- 70. doi : 10.1016 / S0002 - 9343 ( 99 ) 00369 - 1. Jump up ^ Jaworski CA ( June 2005 ). `` Medical concerns of marathons ''. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 4 ( 3 ) : 137 -- 43. PMID 15907265. doi : 10.1097 / 01. csmr. 0000306196.51994. 5f. ^ Jump up to : Pete Pfitzinger -- Lab Reports -- Recovering From a Marathon, Part One. Pfitzinger.com. Retrieved on 19 April 2011. Jump up ^ Mailler EA, Adams BB ( August 2004 ). `` The wear and tear of 26.2 : dermatological injuries reported on marathon day ''. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 38 ( 4 ) : 498 -- 501. PMC 1724877. PMID 15273194. doi : 10.1136 / bjsm. 2004.011874. Jump up ^ Stouffer Drenth, Tere ( 2003 ). Marathon Training for Dummies. United States : Wiley Publishing Inc. ISBN 0 - 7645 - 2510 - 7. Jump up ^ Keener, Candace. ( 27 February 2008 ) HowStuffWorks `` The Health Risks of the Marathon ''. Entertainment.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved on 19 April 2011. Jump up ^ Waite O, Smith A, Madge L, Spring H, Noret N ( January 2016 ). `` Sudden cardiac death in marathons : a systematic review ''. The Physician and Sportsmedicine. 44 ( 1 ) : 79 -- 84. PMID 26765272. doi : 10.1080 / 00913847.2016. 1135036. Jump up ^ Neilan TG et al. ( 28 November 2006 ). `` Myocardial injury and ventricular dysfunction related to training levels among non-elite participants in the Boston Marathon ''. Circulation. 114 ( 22 ) : 2325 -- 2533. PMID 17101848. doi : 10.1161 / CIRCULATIONAHA. 106.647461. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) CS1 maint : Explicit use of et al. ( link ) Jump up ^ Pappas, Stephanie ( 25 October 2010 ). `` Temporary Heart Damage May Explain Marathon Deaths ''. Live Science. Retrieved 15 May 2017. Jump up ^ Gaudreault V et al. ( October 2013 ). `` Transient Myocardial Tissue and Function Changes During a Marathon in Less Fit Marathon Runners ''. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 29 ( 10 ) : 1269 -- 1276. doi : 10.1016 / j. cjca. 2013.04. 022. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) CS1 maint : Explicit use of et al. ( link ) Jump up ^ Merck Manual : Hyponatremia. Merckmanuals.com. Retrieved on 18 April 2013. Jump up ^ Kolata, Gina ( 20 October 2005 ) : Marathoners Warned About Too Much Water, NYTimes. Jump up ^ `` Fluid Cited in Marathoner 's Death ''. Associated Press. 13 August 2002. Retrieved 14 March 2014. Jump up ^ Noakes, MD, DSc, Tim ( May 1, 2012 ). Waterlogged. Human Kinetics. p. 4. ISBN 145042497X. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ `` ROAD RACING ; Boston Marathon Runner Dies ''. The New York Times. April 19, 2002. Retrieved 14 March 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Doctors : Marathoner Died From Too Much Water ''. WCVB News. Retrieved 14 March 2014. Jump up ^ Nearman, Steve ( October 23, 2003 ). `` Too much of a good thing ''. Washington Times. Retrieved 14 March 2014. Jump up ^ Almond CS, Shin AY, Fortescue EB, et al. ( April 2005 ). `` Hyponatremia among runners in the Boston Marathon ''. N. Engl. J. Med. 352 ( 15 ) : 1550 -- 6. PMID 15829535. doi : 10.1056 / NEJMoa043901. Jump up ^ Engler, Natalie ( 2003 ). `` Marathon Dilemma : How Much Water is Too Much ? ''. AMAASportsMed.org. American Running Association. Reuters Health. Archived from the original on 10 November 2015. Jump up ^ Almond CS, Shin AY, Fortescue EB, et al. ( April 2005 ). `` Hyponatremia among runners in the Boston Marathon ''. The New England Journal of Medicine. 352 ( 15 ) : 1550 -- 6. PMID 15829535. doi : 10.1056 / NEJMoa043901. ^ Jump up to : Writing committee : Lewis G. Maharam, MD. FACSM ( chair ), Tamara Hew DPM, Arthur Siegel MD, Marv Adner, MD, Bruce Adams, MD and Pedro Pujol, MD, FACSM ( 6 May 2006 ). `` IMMDA 's REVISED FLUID RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RUNNERS & WALKERS ''. Association of International Marathons and Distance Races. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) ^ Jump up to : Bethea, Damian ; Powell, Shuma ( July 2005 ). `` Dehydration Review, Report Number HSL / 2005 / 29 '' ( PDF ). Health & Safety Laboratory Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire. Jump up ^ `` American College of Sports Medicine position stand : Exertional heat illness during training and competition ''. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 39 ( 3 ) : 556 -- 572. March 2007. PMID 17473783. doi : 10.1249 / MSS. 0b013e31802fa199. Bibliography Hans - Joachim Gehrke, `` From Athenian identity to European ethnicity : The cultural biography of the myth of Marathon, '' in Ton Derks, Nico Roymans ( ed. ), Ethnic Constructs in Antiquity : The Role of Power and Tradition ( Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press, 2009 ) ( Amsterdam Archaeological Studies, 13 ), 85 -- 100. Hans W. Giessen : Mythos Marathon. Von Herodot über Bréal bis zur Gegenwart. ( = Landauer Schriften zur Kommunikations - und Kulturwissenschaft. Band 17 ). Verlag Empirische Pädagogik, Landau 2010 Tom Derderian, Boston Marathon : History of the World 's Premier Running Event, Human Kinetics, 1994, 1996 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marathons. IAAF list of marathon records in XML Athletics events Track and field Road running Racewalking Racerunning Cross country running Multi-day race Ultramarathon Wheelchair racing Backward running Track Sprints 50 m 55 m 60 m 100 y 100 m 150 m 200 m ( straight ) 300 m 400 m 500 m 600 m Hurdles 50 m 55 m 60 m 80 m 100 m 110 m 200 m ( low ) 300 m 400 m Middle - distance 800 m 1000 m 1500 m One mile 2000 m 2000 m steeplechase 3000 m 3000 m steeplechase Two miles Long - distance 5000 m 10,000 m One hour run Relays 4 × 100 m 4 × 200 m 4 × 400 m 4 × 800 m 4 × 1500 m Distance medley relay Sprint medley relay Swedish relay Walking Mile 3000 m 5000 m 10,000 m 15,000 m 20,000 m Field Throws Discus Hammer Javelin Shot put Weight throw Softball throw Jumps High jump ( standing ) Long jump ( standing ) Triple jump ( standing ) Pole vault Combined Decathlon Heptathlon Athletics pentathlon Women 's pentathlon Throws pentathlon Road Running 5 km 10 km 15 km 10 mi 20 km Half marathon 25 km 30 km Marathon Ekiden Ultramarathon Walking 10 km 20 km 50 km 50 mi 100 km Current Olympic events shown in italics Racing Running Track running Sprinting Middle - distance running Long - distance track event Relay race Hurdling Steeplechase Road running Half marathon Marathon Ultramarathon Ekiden Off - road running Adventure running Cross country running Fell running Trail running Other Tower running Racewalking Orienteering Foot orienteering Mountain bike orienteering Ski orienteering Trail orienteering Radio orienteering Canoe orienteering Rogaining Mountain marathon Car orienteering Bicycle racing Road bicycle racing Cyclo - cross Mountain bike racing Track cycling BMX racing Cycle speedway Keirin Animal racing Camel racing Greyhound racing Horse racing Pigeon racing Sled dog racing Swimming Open water swimming Marathon swimming Paralympic swimming Motorsport Auto racing Formula racing Sports car racing Touring car racing Stock car racing Rallying Drag racing Off - road racing Motorboat racing Drag boat racing Hydroplane racing Jet sprint boat racing Offshore powerboat racing F1 powerboat River marathon racing Other Kart racing Air racing Radio - controlled car racing Slot car racing Multi-sport racing Duathlon Triathlon List of forms of racing GND : 4037441 - 5 NDL : 00567483 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marathon&oldid=807413406 '' Categories : Marathon running Events in athletics ( track and field ) Road running competitions Athletic culture based on Greek antiquity Greek inventions Long - distance running Running Summer Olympic disciplines in athletics Hidden categories : Articles containing Greek - language text Webarchive template wayback links Webarchive template archiveis links CS1 German - language sources ( de ) Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from September 2010 CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter CS1 maint : Explicit use of et al. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Use dmy dates from April 2013 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2012 Articles with unsourced statements from May 2012 Commons category with local link different than on Wikidata Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Afrikaans Aragonés Asturianu Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Български Boarisch བོད ་ ཡིག Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Gaeilge Galego ગુજરાતી 客家 語 / Hak - kâ - ngî 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ಕನ್ನಡ ქართული Kaszëbsczi Қазақша Kiswahili Kreyòl ayisyen Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Limburgs Magyar Македонски മലയാളം मराठी Bahasa Melayu Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Română Rumantsch Русский Scots Setswana Sicilianu සිංහල Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Ślůnski کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் తెలుగు ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt Walon ייִדיש 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 27 October 2017, at 19 : 53. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: why is it 26.2 miles for a marathon
Answer: in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, who reported the victory