What is a marathon?

I never thought I would have to write this post. I don't know when I learned that a marathon was 26.2 miles, but it seems like I've always known. Maybe it was from my early childhood watching the 24th of July marathoners come down the road while waiting for the parade to start. It's just one of those things that has been a part of my knowledge base--just like 3 teaspooons in a tablespoon, 4 cups in a quart, 4 pecks in a bushel..... I have heard WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too many stupid questions over the past couple of months about marathons. Hopefully this will put them to rest, and you won't have to be one of those people who end up in this conversation:

Jill: I'm running a 1/2 marathon at the end of June.
Stupid person: Oh, really? That's great! How far of a marathon?

or

Patient: Wow, Doc! You have lost so much weight. What have you been doing?
Mark: I've been running a lot. I'm running a marathon at the end of June.
Patient: No kidding? How far is your marathon?

Other similar conversations--Abram, Jake, and my sister Nancy also report that they have been presented this same silly question. "How far is your marathon?"

A marathon is 26.2 miles. A 1/2 marathon---stay with me here--- is 13.1 miles. Got it? Good. Don't ask again. A better question might be: "Why is a marathon 26.2 miles?"

That's easy. Take a trip with me back to ancient Greece, in about 490 BC. It seems the Persians were trying to take over the world, and the Greeks were fighting like crazy to keep their turf. Back in those days, the fastest way to get information back and forth was with professional runners--like Phidippides. He ran 140 miles from Athens to Sparta to ask for help. The spartans, due to superstitions, were unable to keave immediately, and Phidippides ran back to Athens to tell the army that they were on their own. All this within a week's time.

The Athenians and Phidippides marched to the plains of Marathon to begin to battle the Persians. This surprise attack helped the Athenians to great victory, but as the Persians were retreating, they were planning to re-group and march on Athens. The army sent Phidippides on a final run from Marathon to Athens--26 miles--where, legend has it, he said, "We are victorious," gave news of the victory and impending battle, collapsed and died right then and there. Voila. 26 miles.

What about the .2?

For most of recent history a marathon was 24 miles. But at the Olympic Games of 1908, 2.2 miles were added to the course so that the finish could be right in front of the royal family's viewing box. 26.2 stuck, and became the offical length of a marathon.

More than you wanted to know? Great. That's what I'm here for. Just please don't ever ask a runner how long his or her marathon was. I'm a brat, I know.