Marathon

Marathon is a long-distance running race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards), typically run on roads. The event traces its name to the ancient Greek city of Marathon, where, according to legend, a messenger ran to Athens to announce a military victory before dying from exhaustion.

In the modern era, the distance was standardized for international athletics by the IAAF (now World Athletics) in 1921 and has been used in the Olympic Games since the early 20th century.

World records: the current official men's record is 2:01:09, set by Eliud Kipchoge at the Berlin Marathon in 2018; the women's record is 2:14:04, set by Brigid Kosgei at the Chicago Marathon in 2019.

Marathons are staged worldwide and include the World Marathon Majors: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. They attract elite athletes and hundreds of thousands of amateur runners who race for personal achievement or charitable causes.

Preparation typically involves long-term endurance training, high weekly mileage, tempo work, long runs, and careful attention to nutrition and recovery. Race day strategies focus on pacing, weather adaptation, and course profile.