All about marathons
Running a marathon is a highly respected sporting achievement. It demands lots of training and willpower, and that's all before you've even crossed the start line!
But apart from all the hard work that goes into it, what else do we know about marathons? Why is a marathon as long as it is and how did this long-distance race begin?
Read this BBC Bitesize article to find out more. You can also test your knowledge of the world's major marathons in our challenge - good luck!
How long is a marathon?
Marathons take place all over the world and attract runners of all abilities, not just elite athletes. They are long-distance footraces that require a lot of training, and most events take place on open city streets.
But how long is a marathon? Well, a marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards in length, or 26.218 miles. In kilometres, it measures 42.195km.
If you've ever wondered how long a half marathon is - it is what it says on the tin. A half marathon is exactly 13.1 miles, exactly half the distance of a full marathon.
The length of the full marathon race actually has a lot to do with the British Royal Family and their own convenience! When the Olympic Games was held in London in 1908, they requested that the marathon started at Windsor Castle and ended at the Olympic Stadium’s Royal box.
That came to 26.2 miles - the longest marathon since the modern games began.
Who was the original marathon runner?
For marathons to have begun, there must have been an original marathon runner. And this runner is said to be a soldier named Pheidippides.
A legend from ancient Greece says that after winning the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, Pheidippides ran 26 miles (42km) to Athens with the news of the Greeks’ victory against the Persians.
What is an ultramarathon and how far is it?
You may have heard of the term ultramarathon before and been curious as to what it is and what makes it different to a traditional marathon.
But an ultramarathon is anything longer than a traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles. So how far is an ultramarathon then?
Well, the marathon course may be a gruelling event that sees people cover distances of 50km, 50 miles, 100km and 100 miles - anything that exceeds the marathon distance of 26.2 miles.
A longer course means a longer race day - but many are up to the challenge!
How long does it take to train for a marathon?
With so many marathons taking place around the world each year, it's no surprise that people are inspired to pull on their trainers and take on the challenge themselves. But inspiration alone can't carry you through the long-distance run - it takes a lot of preparation and hours of training to complete the 26-plus miles running.
It can slightly vary depending on who you ask, but if you’re looking for a ballpark figure for the time required to be route-ready, it is at least six months. For further advice on training routines, how to stay healthy and pace yourself, Bitesize has a handy guide on how long it takes a running newbie to be marathon-ready.
What is the marathon record?
Today, there are so many different marathon world records to name. Guinness World Records alone boasts titles like 'fastest marathon wearing a nurse's uniform' to 'fastest marathon pushing a pram' and much more.
There are many to name and various different titles and circumstances. But we're going to focus on the men and women who have the fastest marathon times in competitive race conditions.
The fastest official men's marathon world record is 1:59:30, set by Kenya's Sabastian Sawe at the 2026 London Marathon. According to BBC News, he became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours in competitive race conditions.
As for the women's world record, this was achieved by Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich at the Chicago Marathon in 2024, with a time of 2:09:56. According to Guinness World Records, Chepngetich became the first woman to run 26.2 miles in under 2 hours 10 minutes.
However, this was in a mixed-sex race and there is a title held by another athlete in a women's-only marathon. At the 2026 London Marathon, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa completed the marathon in 2:15:41.
What are the major marathons around the world?
There are widely considered to be eight major marathons that take place around the world. And you've probably heard of a lot of these annual marathons.
They are:
- Tokyo Marathon – held in March
- Boston Marathon – held in April
- London Marathon – also held in April
- Cape Town Marathon - held in May
- Sydney Marathon – held in August or September
- Berlin Marathon – held in September
- Chicago Marathon – held in October
- New York City Marathon – held in November
The famous marathon cheater
In the world of sport, there has been a cheating scandal from time to time. But we couldn't take a closer look at marathons without sharing this fascinating story from generations ago.
In the marathon at the 1904 Olympic Games in St Louis, Frederick Lorz was the first person to cross the finishing line. But it later emerged that he had cheated, in a big way!
It turned out that Lorz hopped in a car at the nine mile (14km) mark after getting cramp in his legs. The car drove him the next 11 miles (18km) before it broke down and Lorz then continued on foot to the finishing line where he was greeted as the winner.
But he couldn't run from his lie forever. After being confronted by race officials, Lorz first tried to claim he had played a practical joke before finally admitting he had cheated.
Can you name the major marathons?
We've created a list of the eight major marathons from around the world. But how many do you remember?
Don't scroll up and cheat! Test your knowledge and see if you can complete our Bitesize challenge in 30 seconds or less - good luck!
This article was written in May 2025 and updated in July 2026