History of Marathon in Timeline

A marathon is a long-distance foot race covering 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles), typically run on roads, but trails are also used. Participants complete the course by running or using a run/walk strategy, and wheelchair divisions exist. Annually, over 800 marathons take place globally, attracting mainly recreational athletes, with large events hosting tens of thousands of runners.

1907: IOC Agrees on Distance

In 1907, the International Olympic Committee agreed that the distance for the 1908 London Olympic marathon would be about 25 miles or 40 kilometers.

1908: London Olympic Marathon Course

In 1908, the London Olympic marathon course started at Windsor Castle and finished at the White City Stadium, with a distance of 26 miles.

1908: Johnny Hayes' Victory at the 1908 Summer Olympics

Johnny Hayes' victory at the 1908 Summer Olympics contributed to the early growth of long-distance running and marathoning in the United States.

1908: 1908 Summer Olympics Marathon

The length of the 1908 Summer Olympics in London was used to set the modern standard distance for the marathon.

1909: Empire City Marathon on New Year's Day 1909

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

1911: Fauja Singh's Birth Year

Fauja Singh could not produce a birth certificate from rural 1911 Colonial India, the place of his birth, his age could not be verified.

1918: Marie-Louise Ledru Completes a Marathon

In 1918, Marie-Louise Ledru is credited as the first woman to complete a marathon.

May 1921: Standard Marathon Distance Set

In May 1921, the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) set the modern 42.195 km (26.219 mi) standard distance for the marathon based on the length used at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

1921: Marathon Distance Standardized

In 1921, the marathon distance was standardized. Prior to this year, the length of a marathon was not consistent.

1924: Košice Peace Marathon

Since 1924, the Košice Peace Marathon has been held in Košice, Slovakia.

1926: Violet Piercy Officially Timed

In 1926, Violet Piercy is credited as the first woman to be officially timed in a marathon.

1934: Johnny Kelley Finishes in the Top Five

Johnny Kelley started his streak of finishing in the top five by 1934.

1935: Johnny Kelley Wins Boston Marathon

Johnny Kelley won the Boston Marathon in 1935.

1945: Johnny Kelley Wins Boston Marathon

Johnny Kelley won the Boston Marathon in 1945.

1950: Johnny Kelley Finishes in the Top Five

By 1950, Johnny Kelley completed his streak of finishing in the top five 15 times.

1959: Arlene Pieper Finishes Pikes Peak Marathon

In 1959, Arlene Pieper became the first woman to officially finish a marathon in the United States, completing the Pikes Peak Marathon in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

1966: Bobbi Gibb Completes Boston Marathon Unoffically

Bobbi Gibb completed the Boston Marathon unofficially in 1966 and was later recognized as the women's winner for that year.

1967: Kathrine Switzer Runs the Boston Marathon

Kathrine Switzer ran the Boston Marathon "officially" (with a number) in 1967. Her entry was accepted through an "oversight" in the screening process, which led to controversy.

1968: Bobbi Gibb Wins Boston Marathon

Bobbi Gibb had completed the Boston Marathon unofficially and was later recognized by the race organizers as the women's winner for 1968.

1972: Frank Shorter's Olympic Victory

Frank Shorter's victory in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics spurred national enthusiasm for the sport.

1974: First Wheelchair Marathon

In 1974, the first wheelchair marathon took place in Toledo, Ohio, and it was won by Bob Hall with a time of 2:54.

1975: Wheelchair Divisions in Boston Marathon

Bob Hall competed in the 1975 Boston Marathon and finished in 2:58, which lead to the introduction of wheelchair divisions into the Boston Marathon.

1976: Estimated U.S. Marathon Finisher totals

In 1976, Running USA started tracking estimated U.S. Marathon Finisher totals.

1977: Declared US National Wheelchair Championship

From 1977, the Boston marathon race was declared the US National Wheelchair championship.

1977: New York City Marathon Bans Wheelchair Entrants

In 1977, the New York City Marathon banned wheelchair entrants, citing safety concerns. This decision was later challenged.

1979: Division of Human Rights Order

In 1979, the state Division of Human Rights ordered the New York City Marathon to show cause for banning wheelchair entrants, leading to a legal battle.

1980: Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope

In 1980, Terry Fox, who had lost a leg to cancer, began the Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada cancer fundraising run, running 5,373 km in 143 consecutive days, averaging nearly a marathon distance each day.

1980: Marathon Runners in the United States in 1980

In 1980, approximately 143,000 runners completed a marathon within the United States. The number of runners has increased since then.

1980: Appeal Confirmation

In 1980, the Division of Human Rights ruling was confirmed at appeal that the New York City Marathon had to allow wheelchair athletes to compete.

1981: Supreme Court Ruling

In 1981, the New York Supreme Court ruled that a ban on wheelchair racers was not discriminatory, as the marathon was historically a foot race.

1982: Foundation of AIMS

In 1982, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) was founded. It has grown to include over 300 member events in 83 countries and territories.

1983: World Athletics Championships Inclusion

In 1983, the marathon was included in the World Athletics Championships. It is the only running road race included in both the Olympics and World Athletics Championships.

1984: Introduction of Women's Marathon

The women's marathon was introduced at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, US. Joan Benoit of the United States won with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 52 seconds.

1986: Wheelchair Athletes Competing

By 1986, 14 wheelchair athletes were competing in the New York City Marathon despite previous bans and legal challenges.

1988: Death of Sy Mah

In 1988, Sy Mah of Toledo, Ohio, a pioneer in running multiple marathons, died after running 524 marathons.

1992: Johnny Kelley Runs Last Full Boston Marathon

In 1992, Johnny Kelley ran his last full Boston Marathon at the documented age of 84. He had previously won the Boston Marathon in 1935 and 1945.

1996: Polytechnic Marathon Discontinued

The historic Polytechnic Marathon was discontinued in 1996.

October 1999: Heinz Frei Wins Men's T54 Marathon

In October 1999, Heinz Frei of Switzerland won the men's T54 marathon (for racers with spinal cord injuries) in a time of 1 hr 20 min and 14 sec in Oita, Japan.

2000: Christian Hottas is meanwhile the first runner who ever completed 2000 marathons.

Christian Hottas is meanwhile the first runner who ever completed 2000 marathons.

2000: Official Wheelchair Division Added

In 2000, an official wheelchair division was added to the New York City Marathon, marking a significant change in the event's history.

2001: Study of marathon performance

A study from 2001 to 2010 found that runners recorded their fastest times when the temperature was around 6 °C (43 °F), with an increase of 10 °C (18 °F) leading to a 1.5% reduction in speed.

2002: Study on hyponatremia in Boston Marathon runners

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 13% of runners completing the 2002 Boston Marathon had hyponatremia and women are more prone to hyponatremia than men.

2002: Death of Dr. Cynthia Lucero after the Boston Marathon

In 2002, Dr. Cynthia Lucero died at the age of 28 while participating in the Boston Marathon, likely due to complications related to hyponatremia. She collapsed near mile 22 and died two days later.

2003: Sir Ranulph Fiennes completes seven marathons on seven continents

In 2003, British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes completed seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, despite having suffered a heart attack and undergoing a double heart bypass operation just four months before.

January 2004: IAAF Officially Recognizes World Records

Beginning on January 2004, world records were officially recognized by the IAAF, now known as World Athletics.

2004: Chuck Bryant becomes first amputee to finish marathon circuit

In 2004, Chuck Bryant of Miami, Florida, who lost his right leg below the knee, became the first amputee to finish a marathon in all 50 US states plus Washington, D.C.

2004: Ernst van Dyk's World Record

In 2004, Ernst van Dyk set the wheelchair division world record at 1:18:27 at the Boston Marathon.

2004: Fauja Singh Completes London Marathon

In 2004, Fauja Singh completed the London Marathon at the age of 93 years and 17 days, making him the oldest marathoner at the time according to the records of the Association of Road Racing Statisticians.

2004: Patrick Finney regains ability to walk and run

In 2004, Patrick Finney had been left unable to walk by multiple sclerosis, but he managed to regain his ability to balance on two feet, to walk – and eventually to run – through extensive rehabilitation therapy and new medications.

2004: 2004 Summer Olympics Marathon

The marathon of the 2004 Summer Olympics was run on the traditional route from Marathon to Athens, ending at Panathinaiko Stadium. Stefano Baldini of Italy won the men's marathon with a time of 2 hours 10 minutes and 55 seconds.

2004: Medals Awarded at Closing Ceremony

The men's marathon medals were awarded during the closing ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games.

2005: Concerns about overconsumption of water during marathons

In 2005, Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, medical director for the New York City Marathon, stated that there are no reported cases of dehydration causing death in the history of world running, but there are plenty of cases of people dying of hyponatremia.

2005: Average marathon times in the U.S.

In 2005, the average marathon time in the U.S. was 4 hours 32 minutes 8 seconds for men and 5 hours 6 minutes 8 seconds for women.

May 2006: Budhia Singh temporarily banned from running

In May 2006, Budhia Singh, a young marathon runner from India, was temporarily banned from running by child welfare ministers due to concerns for his safety.

2006: Study of heart damage in Boston Marathon participants

A 2006 study of non-elite Boston Marathon participants revealed that runners who trained less than 56 km (35 mi) per week were more likely to show heart damage or dysfunction, while those who trained more than 72 km (45 mi) per week showed few or no heart problems.

2006: Runner's World Top 10 Marathons

In 2006, Runner's World selected a "World's Top 10 Marathons", which included Amsterdam, Honolulu, Paris, Rotterdam, and Stockholm marathons along with five World Marathon Majors events (excluding Tokyo).

2006: IMMDA advises on fluid intake during marathons

In 2006, The International Marathon Medical Directors Association (IMMDA) advised that fluid intake should be adjusted individually according to factors such as body weight, sex, climate, pace, fitness (VO2 max), and sweat rate and recommended sports drinks that include carbohydrates and electrolytes instead of plain water.

June 2007: Horst Preisler's Marathon Achievements

As of 30 June 2007, Horst Preisler of Germany had successfully completed 1214 marathons plus 347 ultramarathons, a total of 1561 events at marathon distance or longer.

September 2008: Thomas Geierpichler Wins Gold

On September 2008, Thomas Geierpichler of Austria won gold in the men's T52-class marathon (no lower limb function) in Beijing, China, in 1 hr 49 min 7 sec.

2009: Akinori Kusuda completes 52 marathons in a row

In 2009, Akinori Kusuda from Japan completed 52 marathons in a row.

2009: Richard Donovan completes seven marathons on seven continents in under 132 hours

In 2009, Irish ultramarathon runner Richard Donovan completed seven marathons on seven continents in under 132 hours (five and a half days).

January 2010: Stefaan Engels attempts to run a marathon every day of the year

In January 2010, Stefaan Engels started an attempt to run a marathon every day of the year, but had to switch to a handcycle due to a foot injury.

October 2010: Ricardo Abad Martínez runs 500 marathons in a row

Starting in October 2010, Ricardo Abad Martínez began running 500 marathons in a row.

2010: Study of marathon performance

A study from 2001 to 2010 found that runners recorded their fastest times when the temperature was around 6 °C (43 °F), with an increase of 10 °C (18 °F) leading to a 1.5% reduction in speed.

2010: Canadian study on the effect of marathons on heart muscle

According to a Canadian study presented in 2010, running a marathon can temporarily decrease function of more than half the muscle segments in the heart's main pumping chamber, with full recovery within three months. The runners with decreased left ventricle function had an average peak weekly training distance of 55.1 km, while those who did not averaged 69.1 km. The marathon was held in 35 °C weather.

2010: Youngest women to run a marathon in all 50 states

In 2010, Beverly Paquin, a 22-year-old nurse from Iowa, became the youngest woman to run a marathon in all 50 states. Shortly after, Morgan Cummings, also 22, achieved the same feat, including Washington, D.C.

2010: Gladys Burrill Completes Honolulu Marathon

In 2010, Gladys Burrill, a 92-year-old woman, completed the Honolulu Marathon with a time of 9 hours 53 minutes, becoming the oldest person to complete a marathon at the time.

February 2011: Stefaan Engels runs 365 marathon distances in 365 days

On 5 February 2011, Stefaan Engels had run 365 marathon distances in as many days.

September 2011: Patrick Finney completes marathon in every US state

On 25 September 2011, Patrick Finney of Grapevine, Texas became the first person with multiple sclerosis to finish a marathon in each state of the United States.

September 2011: Brian Mills completes his 800th marathon

On September 17, 2011, Brian Mills completed his 800th marathon.

October 2011: Fauja Singh Completes Toronto Waterfront Marathon

In October 2011, Fauja Singh, then 100 years old, finished the Toronto Waterfront Marathon with a time of 8:11:05.9, becoming the first centenarian ever to officially complete that distance.

2011: Boston Marathon fills to capacity in record time

In 2011, the Boston Marathon's registration filled to capacity within eight hours.

2011: Marathon races increasing in China

In 2011, there were 22 marathon races held in China.

February 2012: Ricardo Abad Martínez completes 500 consecutive marathons

In February 2012, Ricardo Abad Martínez completed 500 marathons in a row.

February 2012: Richard Donovan improves his record for completing 7 marathons on 7 continents

Starting 1 February 2012, Irish ultramarathon runner Richard Donovan improved his record by completing seven marathons on seven continents in under 120 hours (or in less than five days).

November 2012: Steve Edwards sets world record

On November 11, 2012, Steve Edwards set a world record for running 500 marathons with the fastest average finish time of 3 hours 15 minutes in Milton Keynes, England. He became the first man to run 500 marathons with an official time below 3 hours 30 minutes.

2012: 2012 Summer Olympics Marathon

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the start and finish of the marathon were on The Mall.

2012: Medals Awarded at Closing Ceremony

The men's marathon medals were awarded during the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.

February 2013: Larry Macon celebrates 1,000th career marathon

In February 2013, Larry Macon celebrated his 1,000th career marathon at the Cowtown Marathon in Ft. Worth.

May 2013: Christian Hottas runs his 2000th marathon

On 5 May 2013, Christian Hottas ran his 2000th marathon at TUI Marathon Hannover, accompanied by a group of friends and officers from various 100 Marathons Clubs.

November 2013: Larry Macon sets Guinness World Record

On 30 November 2013, 69-year-old Larry Macon set a Guinness World Record for Most Marathons Run in a Year by Man by running 238 marathons.

2014: Athens Classic Marathon Record

In 2014, Felix Kandie set a new course record of 2 hours 10 minutes and 37 seconds at the non-Olympics Athens Classic Marathon. This lowered the previous record set during the 2004 Summer Olympics.

2014: Marathon Runners in the United States in 2014

In 2014, it was estimated that 550,600 runners completed a marathon within the United States. This is a significant increase from 1980.

2015: Chinese runners at the Boston Marathon

In 2015, 75 Chinese runners participated in the Boston Marathon.

2015: Harriette Thompson becomes the oldest woman to complete a marathon

In 2015, Harriette Thompson, at 92 years old, completed the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon in 7 hours 24 minutes 36 seconds, setting a record as the oldest woman to complete a marathon.

2015: Mars rover Opportunity reaches marathon distance

In 2015, the Mars rover Opportunity attained the distance of a marathon from its starting location on Mars, and the valley where it achieved this distance was called Marathon Valley.

2015: Median marathon times in the U.S.

In 2015, the median marathon times in the U.S. were 4 hours 20 minutes 13 seconds for men and 4 hours 45 minutes 30 seconds for women.

December 2016: Christian Hottas completes his 2500th marathon

On 4 December 2016, Christian Hottas completed his 2500th marathon.

2016: 2016 Summer Olympics Marathon

During the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the start and finish of the marathon were in the Sambódromo.

2016: Marathon finishers in the United States estimated

In 2016, Running USA estimated approximately 507,600 marathon finishers in the United States, while other sources reported over 550,000 finishers.

2016: Medical review on sudden cardiac death during marathons

In 2016, a systematic medical review found that the risk of sudden cardiac death during or immediately after a marathon was between 0.6 and 1.9 deaths per 100,000 participants.

2016: Medals Awarded at Closing Ceremony

The men's marathon medals were awarded during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games.

2017: Marathon races surge in China

By 2017, the number of marathon races in China had increased to 400.

March 2018: Indoor Marathon in New York City

On March 2018, an indoor Marathon took place in the Armory in New York City. Lindsey Scherf set the indoor women's world record with 2:40:55, and Malcolm Richards won in 2:19:01 with a male indoor world record.

July 2020: Study on temperature and marathon performance

A July 2020 study found that increasing temperatures affected faster runners' performance more than slower ones.

2020: Medals Awarded at Closing Ceremony

The men's marathon medals were awarded during the closing ceremony of the 2020 Olympic Games.

October 2023: Kelvin Kiptum Sets World Record

On 8 October 2023, Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya set the world record time for men over the marathon distance at 2 hours and 35 seconds in the Chicago Marathon.

October 2024: Ruth Chepng'etich Sets Women's World Record

In October 2024, Ruth Chepng'etich of Kenya set the world record for women in the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds. This broke Tigst Assefa's previous record.

2024: Olympic Records Set at 2024 Summer Olympics

During the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia set the Olympic men's marathon record at 2:06:26, and Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands set the Olympic women's marathon record at 2:22:55.

2024: Hilde Dosogne runs a marathon every day of the year

In 2024, Belgian Hilde Dosogne ran a marathon every day of the year. On 31 December, the 55-year-old ran her 366th and last marathon, a record for a woman.

April 2025: Data Correct as of April 2025

As of April 2025, the data provided is accurate.

Mentioned in this timeline

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Terry Fox was a Canadian athlete and cancer research activist...

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China officially the People's Republic of China PRC is located...