Fans of marathon running who are interested in its history know that the 1908 Olympic marathon in London is famous for two historical facts. The first is a change in the length of the marathon distance to 42 km 195 meters. The second is the disqualification of the marathon runner who came first. It was then, after the London Olympics, that a clause appeared in the rules prohibiting helping an athlete who was at a distance. The Italian Pietro Dorandi, who fell down from fatigue several times right in front of the audience, was literally picked up by the arms.
Olympic Games in London-1908. Marathon. Italian confectioner Pietro Dorandi was the first to cross the finish line. After a couple of hours, he was disqualified.
Representatives of the American delegation, whose athlete came second, filed a protest and John Hayes was declared the winner.
After the disqualification of the Italian, the second-placed American John Hayes was declared the winner of the marathon. About the silver Cup, which Queen Anne personally presented to Dorandi for his courage - everyone knows this too.
Queen Alexandra presents the Silver Cup to the disqualified Italian Pietro Dorandi. London, 1908 What is the reason for the change in distance? Legend has it that on the eve of the race, Queen Alexandra asked her husband Edward VII to postpone the start of the marathon to the lawn of Windsor Castle. The royal lady wanted their children to see with their own eyes the brave runners who want to repeat the feat of the Greek warrior Pheidippides.
The organizers of the Games went forward and as a result the marathon track was lengthened.
Is it really?
Really started from Windsor
July 24, 1908. England, Windsor. Preparing for the start of the marathon runners. The distance of 42 km 195 meters was officially approved much later than the London Olympics. International Federation amateur athletics was created four years later - on July 17, 1912. The final distance of 41 km 195 meters was approved only in 1921.
So was the Olympic marathon equal to 42.195 km?
Let's look at the archives:
For the convenience of the spectators, the distance was indicated in the program of the Olympic marathon both in miles and in kilometers. 
Those of the spectators who did not get to the stadium could support the marathon runners right from the side of the road. The program gave a detailed indication of the route A rare document straight from the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Bottom line: the Russian-language Wikipedia was wrong again. At the London Games (1908), the marathon distance was not equal to 42 km 195 meters. She was longer.
And here we are waiting for another legend. According to some historians, the difference in meters arose thanks to the same Pietro Dorandi. Allegedly before the help of the judges, because of which he was deprived Olympic medal, he ran these same 42’195 km. But this assumption is not documented. On the next Games in Stockholm (1912), marathon runners ran shorter distances. Why and how much? And this, as they say, is a completely different story and a completely different daddy of the IOC archive.
Today, another myth from the history of marathon running has been dispelled. At the 1908 Olympics, marathon runners did not run 42 km 195 meters.
Marathon running is one of the hardest disciplines athletics. Not every athlete is able to run a set distance. To overcome it, you need to have strength and endurance. For the body of an athlete, this is a heavy load. However, for all its complexity, it is a sport that is useful for the whole body, which, with regular training, improves heart function and prevents the development of a number of diseases.
A marathon is a long-distance race with an officially accepted distance of 42 kilometers 195 meters (26.219 miles, or 26 miles 385 yards). Trained athletes who are able to withstand a long distance take part in it.
The event was organized in memory of the legendary runner, the Greek warrior Pheidippides, who ran a distance of 250 kilometers in a day and a half. He informed the Athenians about the victory over the Persian army at the battle of Marathon and immediately died of exhaustion. Pheidippides was a national hero, and his strength and courage were admired by many. A monument was erected in his honor on the road to Marathon so that future generations would not forget about his feat.
monument on the Athenian roadMore than eight hundred marathons are held annually around the world. Many people take part in them to demonstrate physical training and test your abilities. However, few, even among the marathon runners themselves, can say why such a distance was officially adopted.
This is a very interesting question, the answer to which can hardly be found in textbooks. Its history goes back to the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, at a time when the tradition of holding the Olympic Games was revived. We will talk about this below.
1896 is the date of the first modern Olympic Games. An important event that will go down in history forever. This year the marathon runners ran forty kilometers. After the victory of the Greek athlete, representatives of other countries became interested in this sport. Athletes dreamed of breaking the Olympian's record and proving their endurance. The marathon has ceased to be a distance reserved for exceptional people. It becomes clear that with the right amount of training and good health, each person is able to overcome the distance. Marathon running is gaining worldwide popularity.
It is interesting to note the fact that runners often arrived at the finish line during the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games or some time before it began. This emphasizes the status of the marathon race, which is the final discipline. Over time, this has become a tradition, and the marathon completes the program of the Games. Unfortunately, athletes are not always well prepared, which is why some of them are simply not physically able to run to the finish line.
However, if in this case we can talk about a well-established rule, then there were no uniform standards regarding the length of the distance. The main condition was that the athletes must run along the same route in equal conditions. The length of the race was determined depending on the place of the marathon, and each time it was a different number.
Let's trace the history of marathon running. Since 1896, the length of the marathon has been at least 40 kilometers. Scientists have calculated that just such a distance was the distance from the city of Marathon to Athens. However, at the subsequent Olympic Games, new standards were set, which differed significantly from each other.
It was only in 1921 that the modern distance was established by the International Association of Athletics Federations. How was it calculated, and what influenced the commission's decision?
For the first time, marathon runners ran just such a distance at the London Olympics, which were held in 1908. However, this did not happen on purpose, it was originally agreed on a different distance, but the case intervened. At first, the marathon race was decided to be held on a 25-mile (40 kilometers 23 meters) track. During the race, it had to be changed. From Windsor Castle, the start of the runners was watched by part royal family. At the White City stadium, as you probably already guessed, there were also representatives of the royal family. It was in this place that the runners had to complete their distance. And for their convenience, the distance was lengthened. In addition, the runners had to face difficulties due to the intense heat. However, the marathon ended successfully, the royal family was satisfied with the competition they saw. Gold was won by the American athlete D. Hayes.
The London Olympics was the first time that athletes ran the distance accepted in modern competitions. However, the story does not end there. The distance that the athletes ran in London was not officially fixed as a benchmark for subsequent Olympic Games. The organizers did not develop a single figure that could be officially fixed for all competitions until 1924.
At the next two Olympics, the length of the distance was very different. In Stockholm in 1912 it was 40 kilometers 200 meters. That is, more than two kilometers less than London. Only eight years later, the length of the distance was practically close to modern standards and amounted to 42 kilometers 750 meters. It was held in Antwerp.
It is logical to assume that such a situation could not continue for a long time. international Olympic Committee and Lightweight Federation athletics advocated the creation of a single distance for all the Olympic Games, regardless of where they will be held. It was decided to fix the exact length of the marathon distance.
It is difficult to say why exactly the distance of the London Marathon was taken as the standard. Members sports organizations, having consulted among themselves, decided to fix this figure. Many factors could influence such a decision. various factors about which we can only speculate. There is no exact answer to the question. However, since the 1924 Olympics, marathon runners have run the standard distance of 42 kilometers 195 meters. This is such a complex history of marathon running. However, despite the fact that it is not fully understood, it is important and necessary to know.
The world record in this discipline belongs to Dennis Kimetto, who took part in the Berlin Marathon in September 2014. He showed excellent results, forcing professional athletes to look up to him, and fans - to admire his capabilities and respect for his strength of mind. The best marathon runners are able to run at speeds of more than twenty kilometers per hour!
Runners all over the world consider it important to participate in a marathon. Together with the leading athletes, make a race, and thereby join the world track and field athletics movement. Many marathon organizers hold lotteries to identify future participants, as a large number of people want to run the distance and test their abilities. This trend cannot but rejoice, because playing sports is an important part of active image life. And a person who loves sports and dedicates to it every day free time, is an example for many.
- Olympic running discipline. It is a race on the highway at a distance of 42 km 195 meters. Marathons, at the distance of which world records are recorded, should not have a height difference of more than 1 meter per one kilometer of distance. However, marathons are held in completely different conditions. There are mountain marathons, when athletes cover a distance of 42 km 195 meters, running in the mountains, marathons are held in mines, in the Arctic, in deserts, etc.
1. World records in marathon running
The world record for the men's marathon is held by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto, who covered 42 km 195 meters in 2 hours 2 minutes 57 seconds in 2014.
The world record in the women's marathon is held by British athlete Paul Radcliffe, who covered the distance in 2 hours 15 minutes 25 seconds. This record has been held since 2003. In order to understand how remarkable this achievement is, it is worth saying that the closest result to the world record for women shown over the past 12 years is the result of Kenyan runner Mary Keitani, who ran the marathon in 2012 slower than Paula by 3 minutes 12 seconds .
2. Category standards for running a marathon among men
| View | Ranks, ranks | Youthful | |||||||||||
| MSMK | MS | KMS | I | II | III | I | II | III | |||||
| 42 195 | 2:13.00 | 2:20.00 | 2:28.00 | 2:37.00 | 2:50.00 | Zach. dist | |||||||
2. Category standards for running a marathon among women
| View | Ranks, ranks | Youthful | |||||||||||
| MSMK | MS | KMS | I | II | III | I | II | III | |||||
| 42 195 | 2:32.00 | 2:45.00 | 3:00.00 | 3:15.00 | 3:30.00 | Zach. dist | |||||||
As everyone knows, running distances are logically divided into short, medium and long distances. The discipline of overrunning stands a little apart. long distances.
Sprint races for short distances do not exceed 400 meters. In medium running distances up to 3,000 meters, may include a variety of disciplines, including steeplechase. Engaging exclusively in sprinting for short distances is the lot of professional Olympians due to its specificity.
Long distance running
We are interested in long-distance running, which, according to the conventional wisdom, begins after 3 km, or rather, 2 miles = 3,218 meters. However, we all love marathons into the category long distance running are not officially included, because they are held not in the stadium, but in the open air. Therefore, the classical marathon distance 42 km 195 m It's just called a marathon.
Popular disciplines of long-distance running included in the programs of the Olympic Games and World Championships in athletics are 5 000 and 10,000 meters. Note that the running distances, which are held inside the stadium, are usually measured in meters. At the same time, such outdoor races are measured in kilometers.
When it comes to starting jogging, it is stayer running that is meant. Up to participation in amateur marathons. It is thanks to him that we radically change our lifestyle and with our feet create excellent conditions for the healing of the whole organism. Long-distance running is of interest to everyone who struggles with overweight, stress or strengthens its cardiosystem and immunity. Sometimes it is called simply - long run.
Marathon. History, distance and rules
The meaning of the word "marathon" comes from the name of the Greek city of Marathon in Attica and is associated with the legend of a Greek warrior who ran to Athens with the news of victory. However, according to historians who unearthed documentary sources, this was not entirely true and not entirely there.
But this did not prevent the inclusion of the marathon, as a discipline, in the Olympic Games and the first official race was held along the Marathon-Athens route in 1896. True, this distance fits into 34.5 km. In general, the distance of the first marathons was quite strongly thrown both up and down. And only in the 1920s did it settle down and was officially accepted as 42.195 km.
Modern rules dictate that the marathon be run on paved roads. But there are a huge number of cross-country races, sometimes with rather difficult terrain and in extreme conditions also called marathons. Even despite the fact that the distance can be very different from the generally accepted one.
half marathon
There is another one of the most popular distances - half marathon. Accordingly, this 21 km 97.5 m. The half marathon is one of the iconic points in the training of amateur runners, who a few months ago could not even run a kilometer.
In almost any running competition, half marathons are also held in parallel with the marathon for those who still find it difficult to run the full distance. Among runners, the half marathon is simply called half.
Ironman triathlon running
The marathon is an integral third element of extreme triathlon competitions. Ironman. Accordingly, after a 3.8-kilometer swim (sometimes in icy water) and after a 180-kilometer road bike race, in order to carry the title of "iron man", you still need to run 42 kilometers. A good result will be if you keep within 12 hours. But for starters, it would be great to get to the finish line at all.
ultramarathon
Special discipline of running - ultramarathon. There are no clear restrictions: everything over 42.195 km is an ultramarathon. And although the most frequent competitions are held at distances 50 and 100 km, often ultramarathons are first laid on the map, and then they look at how much it turned out. The duration of such titanic tests can last more than one day, moreover, in the most unsuitable conditions for this.
Almost all ultramarathons are tightly connected with such a discipline as trailrunning, because most of the trails run over rough terrain.
After the first purposeful and conscious run in my life, it's hard to resist setting sports goals. And if at least one of them is achieved, then a person can no longer be stopped. And that's great. But if running has an exclusively health-improving purpose, then you should not once again cross the line of your capabilities and rush headlong into extreme loads.
Despite the fact that the roots of this long sporting event go back to ancient times, today's official length of the marathon race did not appear until the 20th century.
History of the marathon
The first marathon was organized during the first modern Olympic Games, which were held in the capital of Greece in 1896. The ancient Olympic Games never included a race for such a distance in the list of competitions. Idea modern marathon inspired by one of the Greek legends about the messenger who ran from the battle of Marathon all the way to Athens without stopping. The distance of his race was about 40 km. The Battle of Marathon took place between the Greeks and the Persian army in 490 BC. e., according to legend, the ambassador only managed to report the victory of the Greeks and fell dead. To honor the memory of the stubborn messenger, the distance of the first marathon was determined at 40 km.
Modern distance
The next Olympic Games followed the same tradition until the 1908 London Olympics. According to persistent rumors, the distance was increased to please the royal family. Queen Alexandra asked that the race start at Windsor Palace so that the smallest members of the royal family could watch it from the windows of the children's room. Also, at the request of Alexandra, the race ended at the royal box Olympic Stadium. Thus, the distance of the marathon in 1908 was 42 kilometers 195 meters. An accidental promotion has long been in the history of athletics. In 1921, it was this length that was recognized as standard.
Today, marathons are held everywhere - from the North Pole to the Chinese Wall. There are over 1,100 annual marathons registered in the US alone to date. If in 1976, according to a statistical survey, about 25 thousand people participated in marathons, then in 2013 the number of participants more than doubled.
