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The marathon - some facts, figures and stories

What is it?
A long distance foot race, on roads, with an official distance of 42.195 kms or 26 miles 385 yards.

Origin
It was instituted to commemorate the legend of Pheidippides who, legend tells us, was an Athenian herald sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians invaded at Marathon. It is said that he ran 150 miles in two days... and then ran a final 25 miles from the battlefield at Marathon back to Athens with the good news proclaiming “We have won” ... or was it “Rejoice, we conquer” ....before collapsing and dying.

Over recent years several pieces of research into the writings of this time have cast doubt on the accuracy of the story though it is known that he did exist and was a trained runner of legendary stamina.In 1876 Robert Browning wrote a poem called “Pheidippides” which helped affirm the legend. Two decades later, when leading Greek politicians were looking for a way to promote the glory of ancient Greece they decided to recreate, in Athens, an event akin to the original Olympian Games –  a key part in their tradition and culture. It was decided that a fitting climax to these games would be a commemoration of the heroic deed of that soldier – some 2,386 years later.

Olympia
The Greeks were known to have staged sports competitions as far back as 3,000 years ago. The best known to us today was at Olympia where, ever four years (an “Olympiad”), a series of competitions were held – including foot races.
Only men were allowed to compete and all were naked to allow the mind and body to fuse in harmony.
The entry to the stadia (roughly 190m in length so about 400m per lap) was lined with statues of Zeus bearing the name of all competitors who had cheated and been fined. The fine paid for the statue and reminded all new competitors of the oath of fair play that they had sworn as the Games began. If you did not you could be sure that your name was never forgotten! The longest foot race was 24 laps.

Olympia

The Olympic Marathon 1896
The Games if the first modern Olympiad were held in Athens to commemorate the long history of such events in that country. It was modest and informal (people often entered themselves) but the country could not affords a new stadium so Georgios Averoff, a wealthy businessman, donated approximately 1 million drachmas to renovate the ancient Panatheniac stadium.

Olympic Marathon

This is the stadium used for the 1896 Games and where the first ever marathon race finished.
It was renovated for the 2006 Olympic Games and several of the events were held here

To make this occasion unique it was suggested that they commemorate the legendary run of Pheidippides, however...

“It became a matter of national pride that Greece should provide the winner of this event so a nationwide search was made for competitors and some outrageous offers were made to try and induce Greek entrants to enter and win. 
The chief benefactor (Averoff) offered the hand of his daughter in marriage whilst others offered a lifetime’s free supply of clothes, wine, chocolate, bread, haircuts and even gifts of cattle and sheep.Of the 25, all male, starters all but 4 were Greek including Spiridon Louis a former shepherd and soldier who was then a post messenger. Spiridon regularly ran alongside his mules delivering messages and barrels of water around the Marathon-Athens route.
Come the day, thousands lined the route and the runners were followed by carts including doctors and nurses along with several coffins – just in case!  Having fasted the day before and prayed all night, Louis seems to pace himself and did not raced off with others. He even stopped at a pre-arranged point to drink half a pint of wine!
An American and Australian were still ahead of Louis – the leading Greek, but some three miles from the city they were forced to drop out after being choked by the dust created by an escort of Greek soldiers on horses. Both complained that this was done deliberately.
As Spiridon entered the stadium to the roars of the crowd, Crown Prince Constantine got so excited that he raced down from the royal box to join Spiridon on his final lap.It was said that he finished in 2:58:50 ... for a distance of about 25 miles.
As winner of this race, as in every other event at the Games, he received a silver medal  plus an olive branch –just the Romans had given winners in their day, though in subsequent Olympics this changed to a wreath to crown the head. A second place medal was also awarded - but no other.
In this first event Greek runners filled five of the first six places though one was disqualified later for accepting a lift on a horse-drawn cart.
Incidentally, Spiridon Louis did not marry Miss Averoff... he was already married with a family.

Just five months later the New York Knickerboker Athletic Club organised their first marathon and Boston Athletic Club followed a year later and both were highly praised for their organisation.The Olympic Marathon of 1900, held in Paris, was a disaster with a lack of signs and marshals; cheating was rife and 12 of the 19 starters were said to have given up due to despair and exhaustion.Victory in the 1904 race was initially awarded to Fred Lorz who had dropped out at 9 miles, it transpired that he then got a lift and then just ran the last 4 miles into the stadium. Once the truth was realised Lorz was disqualified and the prize awarded to Thomas Hicks of Birmingham, England – but who was running for the USA.
 
As Hicks was kept going by taking a cocktail of strychnine, raw eggs and brandy, and collapsed unconscious at the finish.” (1)

It is dubious if he was any more entitled to win than Lorz!

(1), Adapted from”Marathon Kings” by Norman Giller. Pelham Books 1983

The Olympics Games of 1908 was held in London and the marathon was to be run from Windsor Castle to the White City stadium. By now the sport had got used to having both national and world records which were run over standard and measured distances. A mile was a mile – but what was a marathon? Some were as short as 22 miles – others possible over 27 miles. and there was a feeling in many parts that this was an opportunity to establish a world recognised distance especially as the planned course was an exact 26 miles.

As plans finalised it was realised that the finish line would be 385 yards from the royal box and the Queen was disinclined to walk to it. If Mohamed won’t move to the mountain – you move the mountain....and so that the race could finish exactly opposite the Royal Box, and Queen Alexandra would not have to walk) this meant that the 1908 Olympic Marathon would be 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 kms) in length.

By this time there was a wish to create a standard distance and many proposed that this should be the future agreed distance. Not everyone agreed at the time and in 1912 the Olympic course at Stockholm measured 40.2 kms and at Antwerp in 1920 it was 42.75 kms.

Finally, in 1921. at the IAAF Congress in Geneva, it was agreed that in future the official distance would be 42.195 kms or approximately 26.2 miles. On race day you can blame that final extra bit on you know who!

World best or World record? On April 18th 2011 Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya completed the Boston Marathon in 2:03:02 recording the fastest time EVER for running 42.195 kms.

Fantastic – yet not recognised as a world record. On September 28th 2008, three years before this, at the Berlin Marathon, Heile Gebrselassie ran 2:03.59 – and he still does holds the world record. How can that be? Why not Mutai?

With track running, all the tracks are the same size, have the same angles on bends and are all dead flat – hence records are inter-changeable - be they run in Birmingham or Beijing – though some “record” performances in a 100m or 200m may have to be disallowed if they are deemed to be “wind assisted.”

In sharp contrast, whilst they can be identical length, no two marathon courses are identical in nature. In theory a city might claim to have the fastest course by designing one that was downhill and in line with the prevailing wind. Thus in 2004 the IAAF stipulated that in future NO courses would be approved (for record performances) unless;

a. the had been measured using the calibrated bicycle method
b. the start and finish points of the course, measured along a theoretical straight line between them, were not be further apart that 50% of the race distance
c. the decrease in elevation between the start and finish must not exceed an average of one in a thousand i.e. 1m per km.

Marathons such as Berlin, London, New York are all deemed suitable whereas Boston being a point to point course with a drop in elevation of 459 ft is not deemed eligible for world records. Mutai is also said to have been assisted by a 14 mph tail wind.

So his time can be recorded as a world best but not a world record. As you are running the London Marathon feel free to set a world record if you so wish!!

Will your race actually be 42.195 kms?
The bad news is no - because the rule is that the course must be measured as “not less than”. Due to the difficulties of accurate measuring over this distance a margin if 1m per kilometre is added so you will certainly have to do that additional 42 m... and maybe more

The Blue/red line
To indicate the exact and measured course to all runners, marathon organisers (as in London) put down a temporary line on the road surface using an estimated 300 litres of paint. This may be ideal for the elite but is not so significant for the rest of the field save that, the more you run outside that line then the greater the distance you will run. Most accept that fact and settle for going where conditions are least congested.
(To comply with local bye-laws a team follow the last runners to remove all the paint before Monday.)

What time will you need to run if you hope to win in London?
Since that first Olympic run back in 1896 times have come down steadily – at first in minutes, then seconds – and now rarely– if at all. Undoubtedly the removal of pacemakers from many events had an effect but certain courses do seem to be “faster” though appearance money and prize money can have an effect.

Of the top 10, all-time, best performances for men since 2004, 6 were set at Rotterdam, 3 in Berlin and 1 in London.
The world record of 2:03.59 was set as far back as  2008  at Berlin when Heile Gebrselassie’s average pace was an amazing 4.43 per mile!

In 2011, Emmanuel Mutai’s of Kenya whose winning time of 2:04:40 was the fourth fastest ever run on an IAAF course. In the Women’s race, Paula Radcliffe has won three time – her best two now being discounted from the world record rankings as she was paced by men. Her (un-paced) time of 2:17.42 set in 2005 remains both a World and Course record.
Winning times in four of the last five years have been in excess of 2:20:00 so Mary Keitany’s 2:19:19 last year was the best in London since 2006.
Sad to see the death earlier this year of Greta Waitz from Norway – winner in both 1983 (WR 2:25) and again in 1986.

Do you reckon that you are good for your age?
Details of qualifying times are always on the website (or from WRP) though applications for invariably close in the July of the previous year – e.g. applications for 2012 closed on July 15th 2011

Race No.1
No doubt many of us would fancy the idea of being that good that we were allocated any single or double digit race number. So who wore No. 1 in the very first London Marathon? Those who have been connected with the sport since the early years of the London Marathon will know that the joint founders of London – Chris Brasher and John Disley were inspired to do so by stories about the “people’s” marathon in New York. They went, ran it and came back convinced that London just had to do the same. The founder of the New York City Marathon was Fred Lebow who was also President of the New York RRC for 20 years. Chris Brasher said that if was Fred who had inspired him to bring the idea to London.
Lebow duly came over for the fist event and was honoured with the very first Number 1 at the 1981 Gillette London Marathon. It is said that his memorial service in Central Park drew the largest gathering there since the death of John Lennon.

N.B. A movie “Run for your life” tells the story of Lebow and the New York City Marathon. In Central Park there is a statue in honour of him and every year it is moved to a spot in view of the finish line of the marathon. The statue shows him timing finishers in his race.

Who has sponsored the London Marathon since it began? If you can name all 6, and put then in the correct order, then you know something of the history of this event!
{ See below}

A few interesting facts about 2011

Several thousand donned some form of fancy dress many competing to either break existing records recognised by the Guinness Book of Records – or establish new ones. In the end 45 new Guinness World Records were set this year amongst which saw......

Marathon Sponsors have been: 
Gillette (81-93); Mars (84-88); ADT (89-92); Nutrasweet (93-95); Flora 96-09: and Virgin (10-11)