maraton

Marathon, or maraton in many languages, is a long-distance running event with a standard distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards). The name derives from the ancient Greek city of Marathon and the legend of a messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens to announce a victory in the Persian Wars.

Modern marathons began in the late 19th century, culminating in the first Olympic marathon at Athens in 1896. In 1921 the International Amateur Athletic Federation, now World Athletics, formalized the distance as 42.195 km, partly to accommodate the distance used at the 1908 London Games. Since then, the marathon has become a prominent road racing distance, staged worldwide.

Race programs typically include elite competitions and mass-participation events. Major city marathons such as the World Marathon Majors attract thousands of runners and substantial prize money. The discipline is governed by World Athletics and national federations; records and anti-doping rules apply.

Records: the official men's world record is 2:01:09, set by Eliud Kipchoge at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. The official women's world record is 2:14:04, set by Brigid Kosgei at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Kipchoge's sub-two-hour attempt in 2019 was not recognized as an official world record because it used experimental conditions that did not meet World Athletics' criteria.

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