How Many Miles is a Marathon?
The current marathon distance is 26.22 miles. A marathon is defined as a long-distance race of 26 miles, 385 yards or 42 kilometers.
Historical Background
According to legend, a Greek messenger named Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to declare victory against the Persians. The distance was 25 miles between Marathon and Athena.
Taken from this, the marathon race was invented. The distance for the modern Olympics, which is 26.22, was introduced in 1908. The reason was to start the race at Windsor Castle and finish it at the Olympic stadium. After that, the standard distance for running a marathon becomes 26.2 miles.
The oldest marathon that was organized in the US is the ‘Boston Marathon’. The marathon has continued since 1897.
The marathon started as a men’s competition at the Olympics in 1896. After almost a century after that, in 1984, the women’s marathon was introduced in the Olympics.
Preparations
Along with marathons, there exist other races, for example, 5k, 10k, half-a-marathon, etc. If you haven’t officially participated in any race before, you should start with a race that’s shorter and easier, for example, you could try running a 5k which is equivalent to 3.1 miles, 10k equivalent to 6.2 miles or half a marathon, which is equivalent to 13.1 miles depending on your experience level.
Running a marathon requires a lot of preparation. You have to prepare for at least 5 to 6 months to get ready before you can participate. These months will require patience, hard work, proper food, and health maintenance.
Parts of the preparations are running regularly or at least 3 to 4 times a week. It’s a difficult process to go through, but it gets easier with time. Keeping your health in a good place is important for running a marathon.
Bottom Line
If you are dedicated to your goal, you can certainly achieve anything you desire. The key is to stay motivated and keep a strictly maintained training program that will help you get towards your goal.
