18 Facts About Marathon

Marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of 42.

Marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896.

Name Marathon comes from the legend of Philippides, the Greek messenger.

Marathon interpreted this as an attempt by the defeated Persians to rush into the city to claim a false victory or simply raid, hence claiming their authority over Greek land.

Boston Marathon began on 19 April 1897, and was inspired by the success of the first marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics.

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Later that year, races around the holiday season including the Empire City Marathon held on New Year's Day 1909 in Yonkers, New York, marked the early running craze referred to as "marathon mania".

The Istanbul Marathon is the only marathon where participants run over two continents during the course of a single event.

The Niagara Falls International Marathon includes one international border crossing, via the Peace Bridge from Buffalo, New York, United States to Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada.

Hall competed in the 1975 Boston Marathon and finished in 2:58, inaugurating the introduction of wheelchair divisions into the Boston Marathon.

New York City Marathon banned wheelchair entrants in 1977, citing safety concerns, but then voluntarily allowed Bob Hall to compete after the state Division of Human Rights ordered the marathon to show cause.

Fauja Singh, then 100, finished the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, becoming the first centenarian ever to officially complete that distance.

Marathon previously had won the Boston Marathon in both 1935 and 1945 respectively.

Marathon trained under the coach Biranchi Das, who saw potential in him.

Marathon's coach was arrested for exploiting and cruelty to a child and was later murdered in an unrelated incident.

Marathon running has become an obsession in China, with 22 marathon races in 2011 increasing to 400 in 2017.

Marathon completed this feat despite suffering from a heart attack and undergoing a double heart bypass operation just four months before.

The New York City Marathon requires a qualifying time for guaranteed entry, at a significantly faster pace than Boston's.

Marathon running has various health risks, though these can be diminished with preparation and care.