Have you ever been daydreaming mid-run and wondered why the distance you are training for is exactly 42.195 kilometres? It might not be for the reason you think. It’s such a weirdly specific number; it must have some sort of ancient cultural significance. Although the name and distance have a connection to ancient Greece, the distance itself comes from the British Royal Family—yes, that’s right.
Windsor Castle in Berkshire, U.K., was the starting point for the first 42.2 km race. Photo: David Dixon/WC
Even though no reigning monarch has, to our knowledge, ever run the marathon, the 42.2-km distance comes from, it was a decision made by Queen Alexandra at the 1908 London Olympics. Queen Alexandra wanted her family and children to see both the start and finish of the Olympic marathon, so she insisted on starting the race at Windsor Castle, and to have it finish directly in front of the royal box in the former Olympic Stadium in the London borough of Shepherd’s Bush.
That route happened to be 42.195 kilometres. And because no one dared to argue with the Queen, that became the official marathon distance.
King Charles pulls up to local U.K. parkrun
The name “marathon” does come from the legend of Pheidippides in ancient Greece, who, according to the tale, ran from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens—roughly 40 kilometres—in 490 B.C.E., to deliver the news of victory over the Persians. And then, in dramatic fashion, he collapsed and died. (Thankfully, modern marathons have hydration stations.)
Although the distance was not consistent from one Olympics to the next before 1908, it was roughly 40 kilometres, as organizers wanted to pay homage to Pheidippides’ historic run. The 1904 Olympic marathon in St. Louis was the most chaotic, as it was run in hot weather on dusty roads; runners took shortcuts, jumped into cars, got lost and even drank alcohol as mid-race “fuel.” No wonder the Queen wanted more structure for the 1908 race in London.
The craziest Olympic marathon of all time
After the 1908 Olympics, some race organizations kept adjusting the distance, but by 1924, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made it official: the marathon would be exactly 42.195 kilometres (rounded up to 42.2K). And that’s why every marathoner today runs that oddly specific distance—just so Queen Alexandra’s royal family could get the perfect view.
So next time you hit the wall at kilometre 35 and realize you still have 8.195 kilometres to run, just remember: you have British royalty to blame.