Have you ever run in a marathon? It is a race with a distance of 26.219 miles, usually on a road.
I haven't! I didn't actually know a marathon was over 26 miles even though I know a lot of people who have run in one. Is that why they have to be on a road?
They don't have to be, but they would be much harder if they weren't. The Marathon was instituted in commemoration of the fabled Battle of Marathon in Athens.
Was that before or after the olympics were created?
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (approximately 26 miles 385 yards), usually run as a road race. The event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, who reported the victory. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divisions.
The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the
1500 meters, not 1600 meters.
Running races in the U.S. are usually run in metric distances (e.g., the 100 metres dash or the 5K run), although the mile distance remains popular. But even 5 and 10 kilometer races most often have mile markers on the course, and no kilometer markers. Long-distance races are often measured in kilometers, although exceptions exist (generally 10 mile races). The marathon is referred to as a 26.219-mile race (the official marathon standard distance originally being in