Why is the Marathon so far?

For all those runners who have run a Marathon and wondered why they had to make it such a long way and how they came up with the strange distance of 26 miles 385 yards there follows a short history lesson:

The first Marathon was run in 1896 at the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens.

The Greeks used long distance foot soldiers who would carry messages; professional runners who could tackle any distance and any terrain.

According to legend one of these messengers, Pheidippides, ran from the battlefield at Marathon the 25 miles to Athens with news of victory over the invading Persians, he just managed to recite his message “Rejoice, we conquer,” when he collapsed and died from exhaustion.

So it was to commemorate the legend of Pheidippides and the battle of Marathon that the new race was born, with the course covering the 25 miles from Marathon to Athens.

So how did the Marathon become 26miles 385yards? Like so many sporting events it is down to the British and, like so many things British, the blame lies with the royal family.

The Olympics of 1908 were held in London, with the marathon planned to run from Eton to White City Stadium in Shepherd’s Bush a distance of approx 25miles. The Marathon at the Olympics of 1900 and 1904 had been between 24 and 25miles. Every time the Marathon was run it was a different distance, then royalty interfered.

The Princess of Wales, [Princess Mary], was holding a birthday party for the royal children on Marathon Day and thought what fun it would be for them to see the start of the Olympic Marathon. So the start of the race was moved to Windsor Castle to give the children a good view. Then Queen Alexandra asked for the finish to be moved so that the runners would finish right in front of the Royal Box. The extra distance, added for the amusement of the royals, made the Marathon measure 26 miles 385 yards. When the Olympic Committee met in 1920 to determine an official distance for the Marathon they chose the 1908 one, and we have run that distance ever since.

So next time you are suffering near the end of a Marathon you know who to blame.

This brings me to my own first attempt at the Marathon. This was on 13^th June 1971.

The event was the Maxol Marathon in Manchester which was the trial race for the European Championships later in the year.

The course started in Albert Square and wound its way round the streets of Manchester to finish with a lap of the pitch at Old Trafford.

My training had gone well with several weeks training topping 100 miles plus. Eight weeks before the Marathon I had raced over a 20 mile course in Kirkby in 1:50:13, I was ready. I had bought my first pair of racing shoes for the Marathon; a pair of Tiger Marathon’s which cost 50 shillings - £2-50 for younger readers. The race started at 10am with the weather cool, [54f], with slight rain; ideal Marathon conditions. The Marathon attracted the largest field ever seen in Britain with 210 starters.

I started at a steady pace, unsure of what to expect and went through 5 miles in 26:58 and 10miles in 54:22 feeling comfortable, in about 70^th place, and moving through the field. I was waiting for the pain and suffering to kick in and went through 15 miles in 1:22:47 and 20 miles in 1:50:30 still feeling good and had moved up to about 55^th place. I was now starting to pass runners who normally finished in front of me and went past Dave Jones and Frank McGuire of my club, Blackpool and Fylde, to be the leading Fylde Coast runner completely against the pre race form book. Had I found my event?

At about 23 miles the discomfort started but those in front seemed to be suffering more and I was still moving reasonably well and still catching runners. I continued to push on to the finish passing 25 miles in 2:17 38 and finished with a sprint round the pitch at Old Trafford to overtake Kenny Mayor [Bolton Harriers], on the final corner which he still complains bitterly about 35 years later whenever we meet.

Eventually I finished in 45^th place, [39^th Brit], in 2:25:38.The race was won by Ron Hill in 2:12:39 with 21 men under 2:20 63 under 2:30 and the entire field of 180 finishers under 3:30. I had suffered very little during the race and had not hit the dreaded wall. Looking back I had probably run pretty close to the perfect race.

I have run about 25 Marathons since and have failed to get close to the time achieved on that cool June morning 35years ago; the closest I came was in London in 1984 when I ran 2:29:41. I have also found over the years that the Marathon can be a source of pain and suffering as well as a tremendous sense of achievement when you finally cross the finishing line.

Written by: Anorak Man

Submitted: 28^th June 2006-06-28

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Website/Magazine Editor