Royal role in the marathon as we know it
You might not know that, at the start of the 20th century, the British royal family had a hand in the official marathon distance of 26.2 miles (26 miles and 385 yards) or 42.195 kilometres.
That’s because, at the London Games in 1908, they requested that the marathon start directly in front of Windsor Castle and finish right before their viewing box at the Olympic stadium.
This route happened to have a distance of 26 miles and 385 yards, and in 1921 this was formally chosen by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) as the standard length of a marathon.
Full lowdown on the length of the marathon
(Photo: Central Press/Getty Images)
