What Is Marathon Exactly ?

[Ifinish]

What is Marathon exactly ?

[ToraToraTora]

A town in Greece or the former name of "snickers" chocolate bar.

[newmodarmy]

It's exactly 26 miles 385 yards

[scorpiojo]

India is too far to travel for one.

[piggynose]

Hello ifinish, and welcome to answer bank!

Are you a serious runner? Are you thinking of doing a marathon? 

[scorpiojo]

iFinish is an interesting username...

[Moorea7]

^^ Seems to ring a bell!

[New Judge]

According to legend, the Marathon stems from the battle of Marathon which took place in the 490BC. A soldier by the name of  Pheidippides saw ships of the Persion navy alter course and he believed they had decided they had lost the battle. He ran the 26 miles to Athens to relate what he believed was good news. He burst into the Assembly to declare that the Greeks had won the battle and dropped dead.

The race was inroduced into the Olympics in 1896 but the distance varied. When it was held in London in 1908 the distance was set at 26 miles, over a course from Windsor to London's White City stadium. The entrance to the stadium was, however, altered, meaning the final distance was 26m 385 yards. This remains the standard distance.