The History of the Marathon: From the Battlefields of Greece to the Olympic Stage

Every year, millions of people around the world set out on a 42.195-kilometer journey in marathon races, but hidden behind this distance lies more than 2,500 years of history and legend.

Origins: The Battle of Marathon (490 BC)

The Legend of Pheidippides

The story begins in 490 BC, when the Persian Empire’s army invaded Greece and fought a decisive battle against the allied Athenian forces on the plain of Marathon.

According to the ancient Greek historian Lucian, an Athenian messenger named Pheidippides was sent to run back to the city of Athens (about 40 kilometers) after the great victory at Marathon, to deliver the news of triumph. Upon arrival, he cried out, “We have won! (Νενικήκαμεν, Nenikekamen),” and immediately collapsed and died of exhaustion.

The historical truth: This story may well be a legend embellished by later generations. In historical records, Pheidippides is more famously known for a different feat — running alone the roughly 250 kilometers from Athens to Sparta to seek reinforcements, two days before the Battle of Marathon. But regardless of its accuracy, this tale has become an eternal symbol of the marathon spirit.

The Birth of the Modern Marathon: The 1896 Athens Olympics

Inspiration from a French Historian

In 1896, the first modern Olympic Games returned to Athens. The French historian Michel Bréal was deeply moved by the legend of Pheidippides and proposed to Olympic founder Pierre de Coubertin that a long-distance race “commemorating the ancient Greek hero” be added to the program.

The First Olympic Marathon Champion

On April 10, 1896, the first Olympic marathon set off from Marathon Village, finishing at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, over a distance of about 40 kilometers.

Among the 17 competitors, Spyridon Louis, a Greek water carrier from Marousi, crossed the finish line first in 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 50 seconds, becoming the first Olympic marathon champion in history.

His victory sparked a wild celebration among the Greek crowd. Members of the Olympic royal family even jumped onto the track to accompany him for the final stretch — one of the most moving moments in Olympic history.

Where the Distance of 42.195 Kilometers Comes From

An Accidental Decision at the London Olympics

In the early Olympics, the marathon distance was not fixed (about 40 km in 1896, about 40.26 km in 1900, and about 40 km in 1904).

The 1908 London Olympics marked the establishment of the modern marathon distance, though the reason was quite accidental:

• The route started from the lawn of Windsor Castle, so the British royal family could watch
• The finish line was set directly in front of the royal box at White City Stadium
• The distance between this particular start and finish point happened to work out to exactly 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 kilometers)

In 1921, the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) officially established 42.195 kilometers as the standard marathon distance, and it remains so to this day.

Key Historical Milestones

Eliud Kipchoge: The Icon of the Modern Marathon

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest marathon runner of the modern era, and a living embodiment of the marathon spirit:

• World record: 2:01:09 (2018 Berlin Marathon, official world record)
• Ineos 1:59 Challenge: Completed in 1:59:40 in Vienna in 2019 (unofficial, under special conditions)
• Olympic gold medals: Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, winning gold at two consecutive Olympics

His famous words, “No Human Is Limited,” have become the finest expression of the marathon and of the human spirit of challenge.

The Marathon as a Mass-Participation Sport

Today, the marathon is no longer the exclusive domain of professional athletes — every year, more than six million people around the world complete a marathon. The “Six World Marathon Majors” (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York) have become a lifetime bucket list for countless runners.

The appeal of the marathon lies in its “democratizing” challenge — every finisher, no matter their pace, is connected to a legend that is 2,500 years old.

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