The Olympic Marathon Distance Was Set by Accident

The modern marathon's length was determined by a series of specific, and somewhat random, requests at the 1908 London Olympics. Before this, the marathon distance was not fixed, generally hovering around 25 miles, inspired by the legendary run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens. For the 1908 Games, the organizers originally planned a course of about 26 miles, starting at Windsor Castle and ending at the newly built White City Stadium.

The route was altered to accommodate the British royal family. Queen Alexandra reportedly requested that the race start on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle so the royal children could watch from their nursery window. To ensure the race finished directly in front of the royal box within the stadium, an additional 385 yards were added to the course. This precise distance of 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 kilometers) was a result of these royal accommodations.

This peculiar distance was not immediately adopted as the standard. For several years following the London Games, marathon distances continued to vary. However, the dramatic finish of the 1908 race, where Italian runner Dorando Pietri collapsed and was controversially helped over the line, brought global attention to the event and its unique length. In 1921, the International Amateur Athletic Federation officially standardized the marathon distance, cementing the 1908 London course as the required length for all future competitions.