![]() For decades, marathons were only open to male athletes. In America alone, there are now more than 1,100 marathons each year. Today, marathon races take place everywhere from the North Pole to the Great Wall of China. The random boost in mileage ended up sticking, and in 1921 the length of a marathon was formally standardized at 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers). ![]() ![]() As the story goes, Queen Alexandra requested that the race start on the lawn of Windsor Castle (so the littlest royals could watch from the window of their nursery, according to some accounts) and finish in front of the royal box at the Olympic stadium-a distance that happened to be 26.2 miles (26 miles and 385 yards). For the next few Olympics, the length of the marathon remained close to 25 miles, but at the 1908 Games in London, the course was extended, allegedly to accommodate the British royal family. ![]()
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