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It's an arbitrary distance. No rhyme or reason for 26 miles, 385 yds.
But, the biggest WTF? It's usually in a big circle, or an "out 'n back." So, you end up right back where you started, only your winded and legs sore and your feet hurt. Along with worn out shoes.
Now, if it had a point, that could be something else.
Say, Putin is shootin' at ya. That would be a solid reason.
Or, you are going to visit grandma's house, and you wanted to get there while the choco chip cookies are still warm. (THAT is an incentive, btw!)
Just saying, that it's a scam, especially if people are crazy enough to pay someone else the privilege of running on a public roadway....
Last edited by NORTY FLATZ; 06-12-2022 at 12:12 PM..
Reason: changed "stupid" to "crazy" but it's still stupid...
There's a good writeup in the history section of the marathon in the Wikipedia article, The word Marathon comes from the legend of Philippides (or Pheidippides), the Greek messenger.
As for the distance:
It was established in the 20th Century. "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)."
When people pay to run a marathon, it usually has to do with the well known events like the Boston Marathon. Other than that, people fundraise pursuant to their participation, for different charities. I have a relative who works for such an organization -- in San Diego, as a matter of fact.
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