When I first decided to train for and run a marathon, I did a little research to learn more about it. I discovered that the marathon has deep history and very interesting facts!
Official Distance: 26 miles 385 yards (commonly known as 26.2 miles)
The marathon was established in honor of the Greek solider Pheidippides, who served as a messenger in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. He was sent from the battlefield to Athens and announced "Rejoice, we are victorious" declaring
the Persians has been defeated.
The marathon was one of the modern Olympic events, which was hosted in Athens in 1896. Seventeen competed in the 40k race (24.8 miles). The distances of marathons continued to vary, usually around 25 miles, until the London Olympics in 1908, when it was extended to 26.2 miles. It started at Windsor Castle and finished past the White City Stadium (the original finish) at the East Lawn, where the royal children could watch the race from their nursery. The official distance was formally established in the 1920s.
This year, the year of my marathon, I am fortunate enough to visit both of these historic places! I was in Athens, Greece in June and will be in London for the Paralympic Games in August and September.
I'm in good company when it comes to marathon runners! George W. Bush ran his first marathon after serving as his father's campaign advisor for the presidential election in 1992. He ran the Houston Marathon in 1993 and finished in 3 hours and 44 minutes!
I will be
running the Dallas Marathon (formally known as the White Rock Marathon), which was established in 1971, and is the longest-running marathon in Texas. The race will be capped out at 25,000 runners for 2012 and I will be one of them!
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